West Liberty, W.Va. — Powered by a dominant inside presence and a season-high performance from senior forward
Emma Witt, the West Virginia Wesleyan College women's basketball team claimed a pivotal Mountain East Conference (MEC) road win over West Liberty, 80–71, Wednesday evening at the ASRC. The Bobcats improved to 5–2 on the season and 3–1 in MEC play.
Wesleyan took control early and held off multiple surges from the Hilltoppers behind balanced scoring, aggressive rebounding, and clutch fourth-quarter execution. The Bobcats led 41–34 at halftime, saw their advantage slip away in the third quarter, but roared back in the final period, outscoring West Liberty 22–12 to close out the victory.
Emma Witt turned in a dominant all-around effort, pouring in
30 points on 11-of-20 shooting and grabbing
10 rebounds to notch a double-double. She added 2 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal while converting 8-of-11 from the free throw line.
Her fourth-quarter presence was especially impactful, including key free throws and a critical block with under three minutes to play that helped preserve Wesleyan's momentum
Kilah Dandridge delivered an efficient 17-point outing in just 21 minutes, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor and a perfect 3-of-3 from the line. She also grabbed 7 rebounds and had 1 block and 1 steal.
Ana Young scored 9 points and tallied 3 assists, helping steady the backcourt under pressure.
Allie Daniels dominated the glass with
13 rebounds, including 4 on the offensive end, and added 8 points in the post.
Sydney Baird hit a big three and finished with 7 points and 4 assists.
Avery Childers came off the bench to contribute 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals, including a dagger three-pointer to stretch Wesleyan's late lead.
The Hilltoppers (4–5, 1–2 MEC) were led by
Anna Lucarelli, who posted 18 points and 5 assists.
Olivia Baker knocked down four triples en route to 13 points. Despite shooting well from deep (9-of-22), WLU struggled on the boards and couldn't overcome Wesleyan's interior dominance.
The Bobcats are on holiday break until Saturday, Jan. 3 when the women host Wheeling University at 2 p.m. in the Rockefeller Center.
