Daveona Hatchell had a game to remember as she led the West Virginia Wesleyan College Bobcats to a Mountain East Conference first round victory over West Liberty University 77-64, Wednesday in the WesBanco Arena in Wheeling.
 
The Bobcats and Hilltoppers did exactly what they had done in two previous 2024 season encounters: bang the floor for points and fouls until one stood at the end.
 
Wesleyan got into trouble early in the first half when the team's leading rebounder, Desiree Roy, notched her second foul just 3:14 into the game and was replaced by Hatchell.
 
Adding to the player deficit for the 'Cats, leading scorer Emma Witt, this year's Second-Team All-Conference winner, tapped her third foul of the game with 5:43 remaining in the second quarter to leave the game until after the half, and this year's MEC Freshman of the Year Sydney Baird could only manage a single two-pointer with two seconds left in the first 20 minutes as the Hilltoppers suffocated her with defensive pressure throughout the game.
 
But the Bobcats held fast to a 32-28 halftime lead. Then Hatchell exploded.
 
The Bobcat floor began a lot different going into the second half. Wesleyan coach Brett Vincent optioned for a look that had not been used much, if at all, throughout the season. Hatchell remained and Roy re-entered to form a flavor of a Bobcats' two-tower defense which paid off.
 
Both players ended the game with double-double performances. Hatchell, in her best game by far, was a magnet to the basketball as she yanked away 21 rebounds, nine of them offensive, and scored a career-high 19 points with 9-of-9 complete from the free-throw line.
 
Roy's rebounding (No. 7 n the MEC) added 10 to her season total and she dropped 15 points, including 7-of-8 from the line.
 
Witt remained out of foul trouble in the second half to lead all scorers with 7-of-12 from the floor and 7-of-10 from the charity stripe for 21 points. Baird recovered in the second half to add 12 points.
 
Wesleyan's conference-leading rebound margin (29.8) held true as the Bobcat defense ran over the Hilltoppers with 52 boards to West Liberty's 29. A low turnover of 10 helped the Bobcats alleviate a regular season struggle.
 
Wesleyan moves on to the quarterfinals and will face the No. 1-seeded Fairmont State Falcons at WesBanco Arena Thursday, Mar. 7 at 6 p.m.