WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Virginia State's women's basketball team fell to the West Liberty Hilltoppers at the Academic, Sports, and Recreation Complex on the West Liberty campus, 76-69. WVSU was outscored in the middle two quarters by a combined 53-24 and shot 8-for-35 (22.8%) while West Liberty nearly set the net on fire with a combined 17-for-33 (51%).

State falls to 8-10 on the season, 4-8 in Mountain East Conference games. West Liberty improves to 7-12, 5-7 in the MEC.

Emyah Fortenberry scored 17 and grabbed 19 boards, including 14 offensive rebounds. Shanley Woods scored 13 with three treys.

Anna Lucarelli led all scorers with 18 points to pace the Hilltoppers.

West Virginia State came out strong, quickly establishing their presence on both ends of the court. The Yellow Jackets won the opening tip and set the tone early with aggressive play inside, with Latifat Olatunji scoring a second-chance layup. WVSU's defense was dominant, forcing multiple turnovers and capitalizing on second-chance opportunities, particularly through rebounding efforts from Hallie Bailey and Emyah Fortenberry. West Liberty struggled to find rhythm offensively, missing several early shots and failing to establish an interior presence. WVSU closed the period with a solid 16-7 lead, fueled by their defensive stops and efficient transition offense​.

West Liberty responded with a much stronger showing in the second quarter, flipping the momentum in their favor. They executed a 16-3 scoring run that erased WVSU's early advantage and put the Yellow Jackets on the defensive. WVSU's offense stalled, shooting just 44.4% from the field, and struggled to convert from beyond the arc. Despite some key baskets from Shanley Woods and Baylee Goins, WVSU found itself trailing 29-26 by halftime. The biggest challenge in this period was West Liberty's improved three-point shooting, which put the Yellow Jackets on their heels​.

West Liberty dominated the third quarter, outscoring WVSU 31-14 in what became the defining stretch of the game. The Hilltoppers built a commanding lead with a strong inside-outside offensive balance, knocking down high-percentage shots while forcing WVSU into difficult looks. WVSU's defense struggled to contain West Liberty's offensive weapons, allowing several open three-point attempts and giving up easy points in the paint. While the Yellow Jackets showed brief flashes of offensive cohesion, particularly through the efforts of Ashley Kerekes and Fortenberry, they couldn't slow down the Hilltoppers' momentum. By the end of the period, WVSU faced a steep uphill battle, trailing 60-40.

Despite facing a 20-point deficit, WVSU refused to go quietly and mounted a late rally. The Yellow Jackets exploded for 29 points in the final quarter, led by aggressive drives and improved ball movement. Their defense tightened up, limiting West Liberty to just 16 points and forcing key turnovers. Fortenberry continued to control the boards, giving WVSU second-chance opportunities that fueled their offensive push. Though the comeback effort was impressive, it wasn't enough to overcome the large gap.

State will host Wheeling on Saturday, Feb. 1st at 2:00 PM.