INSTITUTE, W.Va. — West Virginia State mounted an impressive second-half surge on Wednesday, flipping a 12-point deficit into a brief fourth-quarter lead, but Concord responded with a closing run that sent the Yellow Jackets to an 80–74 setback inside the Walker Convocation Center. Junior forward Lillian Jackson powered the rally with a 24-point, nine-rebound performance, while Imani Hickman added 12 points and eight boards in the MEC opener.

West Virginia State shot 30-for-73 from the field, 1-for-10 from three and 13-for-17 at the foul line while matching Concord on the glass with 44 total rebounds. The Yellow Jackets added 10 assists, eight steals and seven blocks and committed just 11 turnovers. State produced 42 points in the paint, 16 off turnovers, 12 second-chance points, 13 fastbreak points and 23 from the bench.

Concord countered by going 28-for-70 from the floor, 8-for-24 from deep and 16-for-21 at the line, finishing with 44 rebounds, 13 assists, 13 turnovers, six blocks and four steals. The Mountain Lions generated 36 points in the paint, 10 off turnovers, eight on second chances, 14 in transition and 13 from their bench.

West Virginia State was led by Jackson, who delivered 24 points, nine rebounds and five blocks on 9-for-14 shooting. Hickman added 12 points and eight rebounds, and Ahjanae Young reached double figures with 10 points to go with four rebounds and three assists.

For Concord, Abbie Smith posted a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double on 6-for-13 shooting and 9-for-10 at the line. Kenyah Stubbs added 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Olivia Ziolkowski supplied 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting with three made 3-pointers.

Concord opened the night with a crisp offensive rhythm, hitting nine of its first 16 shots to take a 23–12 lead after the opening quarter. The Mountain Lions repeatedly attacked the paint early, getting layups from Stubbs, Smith and Kennedy Scales while forcing several West Virginia State turnovers. Ziolkowski added a pair of threes — including one just before the buzzer — to help Concord stretch its advantage. West Virginia State struggled to settle in offensively, starting 6-for-17 from the field with no made threes. Hickman provided early scoring with a handful of interior finishes, and Jackson added a late jumper to keep the deficit manageable. Both teams forced three turnovers in the period, but Concord's transition baskets and paint scoring proved the difference.

West Virginia State put together a much stronger second quarter, using improved ball pressure and second-chance scoring to trim the deficit to 39–29 at halftime. The Yellow Jackets opened the frame with multiple offensive rebounds and a paint jumper from Young, then added transition layups from Baylee Goins and Philleah Bright to spark their offense. Concord countered with timely baskets from Ziolkowski and Stubbs, along with back-to-back threes by Alexis Frazee that briefly pushed the margin to double digits. State continued to attack the rim, with Jessica Osuanah converting a pair of tip-ins late in the period to keep momentum from slipping. Both teams battled on the glass — each grabbing 15 rebounds in the quarter — while State's bench delivered 13 points to help stabilize the offense. A last-second fastbreak layup by D'Laneigh Brooks closed the half on a positive note for the Yellow Jackets.

West Virginia State delivered its best stretch of the night in the third quarter, outscoring Concord 25–16 to erase the halftime deficit and briefly take the lead. After Concord opened with a layup, the Yellow Jackets responded with sustained defensive pressure and interior scoring from Hickman, Latisha Parris and Jackson. State repeatedly attacked the paint, converting 14 points inside while going 9-for-17 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 at the foul line. Jackson's rim protection also sparked momentum, as she blocked multiple shots early in the frame to ignite transition chances. A 3-pointer from Parris and a series of strong drives helped State chip away before tying the game and eventually moving in front at 54–53 with 31 seconds left. Concord answered with a late layup by Smith, but the Yellow Jackets closed the quarter having seized control of the game's tempo and energy.

Concord reclaimed control in the fourth quarter by capitalizing on free throws, timely stops and late-game execution, outscoring West Virginia State 25–20 to close out the win. The quarter opened with the teams trading buckets and leads, as Young, Jackson and Goins kept the Yellow Jackets level through the early minutes. Jackson continued her dominant two-way night, knocking down midrange jumpers, grabbing key rebounds and adding another block as State briefly pushed ahead 70–67 with five minutes remaining.

From there, however, Concord's composure at the line proved decisive. The Mountain Lions went 10-for-15 at the stripe in the period and generated seven points in transition, highlighted by Kiley Smich and Stubbs turning State turnovers into immediate layups. Smith delivered multiple pivotal plays in the final three minutes — a jumper, a putback, several defensive rebounds and four straight free throws during a stretch in which WVSU struggled to convert.

A technical foul assessed to West Virginia State head coach Whitney Bays with 59 seconds remaining further shifted momentum, allowing Concord to extend its lead to two possessions. State's final attempts from long range came up short, and Concord closed the game by converting its last four free throws to seal the 80–74 result.

WVSU hits the road to take on Glenville State on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2:00 p.m.