Women's Basketball | 12/11/2010 4:09:58 PM
BOX SCORE
INDIANA, Pa. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team notched its most impressive win of the season here Saturday afternoon, handing No. 25 California (Pa.) an 88-83 defeat in the first game of the Susan G. Komen Shoot for the Cure Classic at Indiana (Pa.) University's Memorial Field House.
Laura Malernee broke the West Virginia Conference's career 3-point record and Tori Hansen took command down the stretch as the surging Hilltoppers (7-1) fought off a second-half rally by the Vulcans (4-2) to lock up their sixth consecutive victory.
West Liberty led by as many as 17 points in the first half as Malernee drained 5 of her season-high 8 3-point field goals in the game's first 16 minutes.
California closed the gap to 41-35 at intermission but Malernee hit a trio of 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the second half to restore WLU's double-digit lead, 52-39, at the 17:20 mark.
Malernee didn't score again but her 8 3-point field goals on the day pushed her career total to 355 – breaking the previous WVIAC career record of 352, set by Glenville State's Rachel Redick from 2004-07.
The nationally-ranked Vulcans refused to fold and launched a 21-5 run that gave California its biggest lead of the second half, 60-57, with 11:20 remaining.
The lead changed hands five times in the next two minutes before a Jenn Cessna 3-pointer gave the Hilltoppers a 68-65 lead at 8:22.
West Liberty never trailed again but the Vulcans did forge a pair of ties in the waning minutes.
The final deadlock came at the 3-minute mark on a layup by Danielle Luckett but that's when Hansen stepped into the spotlight.
The senior All-Region guard answered at the other end by following in her own miss for an 81-79 lead. The Hilltoppers came up with a key defensive stop and once more Hansen came through, knifing to the hoop for a layup that made it 83-79 with 2:06 remaining.
California's Amy Johns cut the gap to 83-81 with a rebound basket and it looked like the Vulcans would have a chance to tie or take the lead when Jenni Robbins couldn't get a 3-pointer to go down as the clock ticked under the 1-minute mark.
But Hansen darted in to grab the rebound and was fouled on her way back up, cashing in both free throws for an 85-81 WLU lead with 55 seconds remaining.
The Hilltopper defense forced the Vulcans to run the shot clock into single digits before getting off a shot. Hansen grabbed the rebound and got the ball over to Robbins, who salted the game away by making 3-of-4 free throws in the final 24 seconds.
Hansen scored 21 of her team-high 29 points in the second half and also finished with a dozen rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Malernee's 8 3-pointers gave her a season-high 24 points while Robbins finished with 13 points and 7 assists.
Luckett led all scorers for the Vulcans with 30 points – 20 of them in the second half – while Johns had 21 points and 13 rebounds. All-Region forward Kayla Smith was held to 13 points and 9 rebounds.
The Hilltoppers close out the Komen Classic here on Sunday afternoon when they take on host Indiana. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. at Memorial Field House.
WEST LIBERTY 88, NO. 25 CALIFORNIA (PA) 83
WEST LIBERTY (7-1)
Hansen 11-19 7-8 29; Malernee 8-15 0-0 24; Robbins 5-14 3-6 16; Wiseman 3-8 2-5 8; Stacey 1-6 0-0 3; Cessna 1-2 0-0 3; Chilton 1-1 0-0 2; Blevins 1-3 0-0 2; Ayers 0-2 1-2 1. Totals 31-70 13-21 88.
CALIFORNIA, PA. (4-2)
Luckett 13-23 4-5 30; Johns 9-26 3-3 21; Smith 5-10 3-5 13; Kermond 3-3 0-0 9; Seebohm 3-4 0-1 6; Michael 1-4 0-0 2; Gattoni 1-1 0-0 2; Antonenko 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 35-72 10-14 83.
Halftime: West Liberty 41, California 35. 3-point goals – West Liberty 13-33 (Malernee 8-15; Robbins 3-11; Stacey 1-2; Cessna 1-2; Ayers 0-2; Hansen 0-1). California 3-7 (Kermond 3-3; Johns 0-1; Smith 0-1; Michael 0-2). Rebounds – West Liberty 40 (Hansen 12), California 44 (Johns 13). Assists – West Liberty 19 (Robbins 7), California 8 (Seebohm 4). Total Fouls – West Liberty 13, California 20. Fouled Out – Seebohm.
