FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team snapped a 5-year losing streak at Fairmont State in decisive fashion Tuesday night, leading nearly wire-to-wire in coasting to a 75-67 victory at Joe Retton Arena.

Senior guard Kayla Ayers paced the West Virginia Conference-leading Hilltoppers (6-2, 3-0) with the third double-double of her career, 21 points and 14 rebounds – both game-highs.

Junior post Emily Blevins muscled in a career-high 21 points and grabbed 8 rebounds while sophomore wing Hillary Southworth added 16 points and 8 boards despite battling foul problems for much of the second half.

West Liberty scorched the twine at a 65 percent clip in the first 20 minutes, leading the Falcons (1-2, 0-2) by as many as 13 points before settling for a 39-30 bulge at the break.

Fairmont's Kaitlin Snyder, the conference's leading scorer at 26.5 ppg., sparked a Falcon surge with 8 quick points in the first five minutes of the second half but Hilltopper freshman Bri Kamarec's defensive pressure held the sharp-shooting junior scoreless over the final 15 minutes.

West Liberty hit a cold streak midway through the half and the hosts cut the deficit to a single point, 51-50, on a Tiffany Nicholson jumper with 10:19 remaining.

But Ayers stopped the bleeding with a pair of free throws and a putback before capping a decisive 12-2 Hilltopper run with a 3-point bomb that restored West Liberty's double-digit lead, 63-52, as the clock ticked past the 6-minute mark.

Fairmont didn't get closer than the final margin the rest of the way.

Snyder finished with 19 points to pace the Falcons while Hailey Garrett and Emily Lohr added 13 each in a losing cause.

West Liberty shot 56.5 percent (26-of-46) from the floor and 85.7 percent (18-of-21) from the charity stripe while posting a whopping 41-26 edge off the glass.

Fairmont shot 38.5 percent (25-of-65) from the floor and 73.3 percent (11-of-15) from the foul line.

The Hilltoppers return to action Thursday night with a 6 p.m. game at Charleston.

GAME NOTES

X West Liberty's last win in Fairmont was a 71-70 overtime decision on Feb. 23, 2006

X The Hilltoppers were playing their sixth game in the last 11 days

X Ayers and Southworth have hit double-figures in every West Liberty game this season