Box Score URBANA (Ohio) – Congratulations to the West Virginia Wesleyan Lady Bobcats for recording their first win of the season today on the road against the Urbana Blue Knights.
The Lady 'Cats used a huge second-half comeback to defeat Urbana by a 69-60 score.
Wesleyan entered the game on a year-and-a-half 34-game losing streak.
Wesleyan never led in the first half and trailed by as many as 13 late in the opening segment.
Wesleyan shot the ball at only a 32.3 clip and committed nine turnovers in the first half.
The score at intermission was in favor of Urbana, 34-23.
The second half was a complete turnaround for the Lady 'Cats as they shot the ball at 54 percent.
Urbana scored the first four points of the second half to extend their lead to 15, at 38-23.
Wesleyan looked inside as Adrian Cunningham, KiKi DeVane and Allyson Freiermuth (pictured) all made lay-ups on a 6-0 Lady Bobcat run to trim the Urbana lead to 38-29 with 15:48 showing on the second-half clock.
Jenni Jordan made a three-pointer for Urbana, but Freiermuth scored back-to-back baskets and Allie Browne knocked down a jumper for another 6-0 run that brought the Lady Bobcats to within six, at 41-35, with 12:42 left.
Urbana pushed their lead back to 11, at 50-39, with 9:22 remaining but the Lady Bobcats weren't done with their comeback plans just yet as Wesleyan went on a 16-0 run over the next seven minutes
Mari Stewart made a jumper to start the run, then Freiermuth put the team on her back and rattled off the next eight points before Stewart popped in a jumper to deadlock the game at 50-50.
Wesleyan kept the run going when Stewart made a free throw, Freiermuth turned in an old-fashioned three-point play after being fouled on her lay-up and Stacy Remer nailed a free throw.
When the run was over, Wesleyan owned a 55-50 lead with 2:14 remaining in the game.
Wesleyan won the game at the foul line during the last two minutes as they were a perfect 12-for-12 at the charity stripe to close out the game.
Freiermuth led all scorers with 24 points. She was nine-of-18 from the floor and made all six of her free throws to account for the scoring.
Remer came off the bench for Wesleyan to add 13 points while Cunningham had 12 and Stewart had 11.
Stewart also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
Wesleyan head coach Michael Bari didn't make the trip after receiving a one-game suspension following a pair of technical fouls during the previous game Monday night.
Overseeing the team were assistants Kristin Mullins and Morgan Hobbs.
The loss was the ninth in a row for Urbana as they fell to 1-15 overall and 1-9 in the MEC.
Wesleyan, now 1-12 overall and 1-9 in the MEC, will return to action this Thursday when they host Glenville State.
Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m.
(File photo courtesy of Peter Galarneau Jr.)
