INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- West Virginia State (8-9, 4-7 MEC) had taken three of the last four against the University of Charleston Golden Eagles (11-7, 7-4 MEC), but a 12 point hole in the first half was too much to recover from as the women's basketball team fell to the University of Charleston Golden Eagles in the mattinee of the Kanawha River Classic inside the Walker Convocation Center. Emyah Fortenberry's shot with a second left to play was short and State couldn't get another chance off as they fell 71-69.

WVSU struggled from the field in the first half, going 10-of-43 for 23 percent, including 2-of-14 from long range and 4-of-10 from the charity stripe. By contrast, UC was 15-of-32, for 47 percent, 5-14 from beyond the arc and 1-of-1 from the free throw line. State ended up 30 percent from the field, 7-of-29 from three and 12-of-27 at the line.

Emyah Fortenberry grabbed her ninth double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Hallie Bailey scored 13 with three steals, an assist and a rebound. ZZ Russell added 12 points, a steal and a rebound.

Jamia Nesmith for the Golden Eagles tied Fortenberry for scoring with 18 points.

Charleston opened the game with strong shooting, led by Kiley Graham, who hit two three-pointers early. Sydney Bolles contributed in the paint, grabbing rebounds and adding second-chance points to help UC take an early lead.  Fortenberry kept West Virginia State competitive with her consistent presence under the basket, drawing fouls and hitting free throws. A late three-pointer from Russell brought State closer, but Charleston's balanced offense maintained control. The first period ended with Charleston ahead 19-13.

Charleston extended their lead with efficient ball movement, highlighted by a jumper from Nesmith and another three-pointer from Graham. West Virginia State struggled offensively, with missed opportunities from Fortenberry and Baylee Goins. Despite a strong effort on the boards by Latifat Olatunji, who grabbed multiple offensive rebounds, State couldn't close the gap. Charleston capitalized on turnovers, scoring critical points on fast breaks. At halftime, Charleston led 36-26.

West Virginia State came out aggressive in the third, narrowing the deficit with a three-pointer by Shanley Woods and inside scoring from Fortenberry. Charleston responded with steady contributions from Nesmith and Bolles to maintain a slight edge. Fortenberry continued to dominate the boards, and Russell added a crucial and-one play to ignite the home crowd. Despite West Virginia State's improved shooting, Charleston's defense forced key turnovers late in the period. Charleston entered the fourth with a slim 50-48 lead.

The final period was a nail-biter, with both teams trading baskets and momentum. Fortenberry's dominance in the paint was complemented by timely jumpers from Hallie Bailey. Charleston's Bolles and Graham hit critical shots to keep their team in contention. State twice grabbed a lead on one point with baskets by Goins. First a triple opened the scoring of the period at 9:51, the Goins responded a UC layup with one of her own at the 8:28 mark. WVSU was outscored 16-6 until the 1:51 mark of the period when Bailey hit a three-pointer to cut Charleston's lead to 69-62. West Virginia State continued their push as Bailey followed up with a layup at the 43-second mark, narrowing the deficit to 70-66. On the next possession, Bailey stole the ball, setting up another scoring opportunity for WVSU, but her jumper was blocked by Charleston's defense.

In the final seconds, Fortenberry grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed free throw and passed to Russell, who drained a critical three-pointer with 9 seconds remaining, bringing WVSU within one point, 70-69. Charleston regained composure, and Bolles was fouled on a fast break, calmly sinking both free throws with seven seconds left to make it 71-69. West Virginia State had one last chance, but Fortenberry's contested jumper with just a couple of ticks left missed, and State couldn't get a putback attempted before the buzzer put State on the wrong end of a 71-69 final.

WVSU's next game is on Wednesday, Jan. 29, where they will try to avenge a 80-78 loss they suffered in the Walker Convocation Center to West Liberty. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.