BOX SCORE

ELKINS, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team battled back from a 13-point second-half deficit to force overtime here Saturday afternoon before pulling away to a 95-86 victory against upset-minded Davis & Elkins in a mutual regular-season finale at the McDonnell Center.

The thrilling win clinched a second-place finish for the Hilltoppers (23-5, 18-4), who will host Bluefield State on Monday in the first round of the West Virginia Conference tournament. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the ASRC.

Senior standout Tori Hansen – who finished with a career-high 36 points – keyed the comeback for West Liberty by scoring all but three of the Hilltoppers' final 21 points in the last 10 minutes of regulation.

The only three points not scored by Hansen down the stretch were huge ones as they came on a deep 3-pointer by Laura Malernee which pulled West Liberty within a single point, 78-77, with 2:36 remaining.

Julieanne Buckley hit 1-of-2 free throws for D&E (5-23, 3-19) at the 2:10 mark but Hansen quickly muscled inside for a layup that knotted the score for the first time in the second half, 79-79, with 1:55 to play.

After an exchange of empty possessions, the Senators' Shalisa Hill missed a wild runner and Hansen was fouled on the rebound. The two-time first-team All-WVIAC veteran had struggled from the line for most of the day but splashed both foul tosses to put West Liberty on top, 81-79, with 42 seconds to play.

Davis & Elkins answered with a pair of free throws to send the game into overtime tied at 81 but Jordan Stacey opened the extra frame with a 3-point bomb and the Hilltoppers never looked back.

Hansen followed with a 10-footer off the glass and two more free throws – she made 12 of a career-high 23 charity tosses on the day – and Erica Hershberger followed a D&E foul shot with a dagger of a 3-pointer to put the game on ice.

Jenni Robbins backed Hansen with 13 points while Stacey finished with 10.

Page Turner led five double-figure scorers for the Senators with 23 points. Jordan Lykes had 15 points and 12 rebounds in a losing cause.

GAME NOTES

X Although Charleston and West Liberty finished with identical 18-4 records in conference play and the Hilltoppers defeated UC in their head-to-head meeting, Charleston edged WLU in the power ratings to claim the regular season title

X The Hilltoppers' second-place finish marks the 9th time in the past 12 seasons that West Liberty has finished in the top three of the WVIAC standings

X Hansen now has 2,206 career points to rank No. 3 all-time in the WVIAC. Charleston's Lisa Lee is No. 2 with 2,260 points.

X West Liberty center Meghan Wiseman sat out almost the entire second half as a precaution after suffering a leg injury midway through the opening half