GLENVILLE, W.Va. – West Virginia State Women's Basketball swept the season series with an 80-75 upset over the Glenville Pioneers on Wednesday at the Waco Center. The Yellow Jackets came into the game ranked ninth out of 11 teams in the Mountain East Conference for free throw shooting, averaging 64 percent, but shot lights out at the charity stripe canning 20 of their 22 attempts for their second 90 percent-plus effort of the season. 

West Virginia State improves their record back to .500 on the season at 8-8, 4-6 in Mountain East Conference play. Glenville State falls to 12-5, 7-3 in conference action.

Emyah Fortenberry secured her ninth double-double of the season before halftime with 12 points and 12 boards at the break. She ended the night with 17 points and 19 rebounds to go with two steals, four blocks and an assist during her 31 minutes on the floor. ZZ Russell struggled shooting from the floor, going 3-for-10 but drilled all 11 of her foul shots on the night. She added four rebounds, two steals and an assist. Ashley Kerekes also ended in double figures with 10 points. She was a single rebound shy of picking up her second double-double of the season.

Tynasia Bunting led the Pioneers with 16 points.

The opening quarter was a tightly contested battle, with both teams trading missed opportunities and defensive stops. Glenville State's Nwando Okigbo opened with a jumper, giving Glenville an early edge at 2-0. West Virginia State answered when Fortenberry grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a jumper to tie the game at 2-2. Kerekes then added a layup for WVSU, assisted by Fortenberry, pushing the Yellow Jackets ahead 4-2.

Defensive intensity was high on both sides, with Fortenberry and Kerekes collecting multiple defensive rebounds to limit Glenville's second-chance points. Glenville's Dejaan Schuler hit a key three-pointer midway through the period, assisted by Stevi Yancy, to regain a narrow lead for the Pioneers. WVSU's Hallie Bailey and Kenly Rogers were active defensively, each recording a steal, while Kerekes contributed a critical block on a Glenville layup attempt.

Late in the period, Glenville State capitalized on free throws by Bunting and a three-pointer by Schuler to keep the game within reach. Despite strong defensive efforts and turnovers forced by both teams, neither side could establish a significant lead. The period ended with Glenville holding a narrow advantage as both teams struggled to find offensive consistency.

West Virginia State and Glenville State started the game with a back-and-forth exchange of possessions. Nwando Okigbo scored the opening basket for Glenville State with a tip-in layup, while Emyah Fortenberry responded for WVSU with a second-chance layup. Ashley Kerekes scored on a fast break layup, assisted by Fortenberry, giving WVSU a narrow lead. Glenville State's Dejaan Schuler hit a three-pointer to reclaim the advantage, assisted by Stevi Yancy. The teams traded baskets, with Kerekes and Latisha Parris contributing key points for WVSU, ending the period tied at 16.

The second quarter featured dynamic play from both teams. Fortenberry started strong with a layup in the paint, assisted by Kerekes, but Dream Cherry answered with a three-pointer for Glenville State. The WVSU bench provided critical support, with Ahjanae Young sinking a three-pointer and Parris adding a fast-break layup. Despite a strong offensive push from Jade Salters and Cherry, WVSU's defensive efforts, led by Fortenberry, kept Glenville State from building a significant lead. The quarter concluded with WVSU ahead 35-32 after a three-pointer by Parris.

WVSU continued their momentum into the third quarter, with Fortenberry dominating the paint and securing rebounds on both ends of the court. Emily Anthony's free throws helped extend WVSU's lead, but Glenville State fought back with Cherry and Yancy scoring critical points. Defensive plays by Fortenberry and Kerekes thwarted Glenville State's attempts to close the gap. A fast-break layup by Kerekes, assisted by Anthony, capped off a productive period for WVSU. The teams entered the final quarter with WVSU maintaining a slim lead.

The final quarter saw intense action, with multiple lead changes. Fortenberry continued to dominate, adding crucial points in the paint and assisting on a key basket by Kerekes. Glenville State's Bunting made several critical free throws to keep the game within reach. Young and Anthony combined for a fast-break play, extending WVSU's lead to its largest of the game. In the closing moments, WVSU sealed the win with a free-throw clinic hitting 6-of-6 down the stretch, securing an 80-75 victory.

WVSU will battle with the University of Charleston inside the Walker Convocation Center on Saturday, Jan. 25. The women's game is scheduled to tip off at 2:00 p.m.