GAME PHOTOS

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team shook off a somnolent first half Saturday afternoon to come from behind for a 65-54 victory against Bluefield State at the ASRC.

After shooting just 25 percent from the floor and trailing by as many as 13 points in the opening 20 minutes, the Hillltoppers (8-6, 5-3) found the range from the field and charity stripe after intermission to post their 17th straight victory against the Lady Blues (4-11, 3-6).

“That was one of the most uninspiring first-half efforts I've seen in this building for a long time,” West Liberty head coach Lynn Ullom said. “When you're not shooting the ball well – and we weren't – you have to work on getting better quality shots and getting to the foul line. 

“We were much more aggressive taking the ball to the basket in the second half and that paid off for us.”

The West Liberty comeback actually began in the latter stages of the opening half.

Bluefield State never trailed in the early going and opened up its largest lead of the day, 24-11, on a Shae Mebane basket with 5:42 left in the half.

The Hilltoppers held the Lady Blues to just 3 points the rest of the way and were able to trim the deficit to a more manageable 27-23 at the break.

“After the way we had played, I thought we were extremely fortunate to still be in the game at halftime,” Ullom said.

The surge continued when play resumed with West Liberty taking its first lead of the day, 30-29, on a Jenn Cessna 3-pointer off a feed from Erica Hershberger.

Charlene Diggs answered with a 3-pointer at the other end for the Lady Blues but the Hilltoppers' Hillary Southworth knotted the score at 32-32 off an inbounds play and Bri Kamerec fed Emily Blevins for a layup that gave the hosts a 34-32 lead with 15:17 remaining.

West Liberty never trailed again.

The Hilltoppers gradually opened up their first double-digit lead, 45-35, when Southworth found Chelsea Bradley on a backdoor cut with 10:32 on the clock and the lead never dropped below six points after that.

“I thought our foul shooting was a major factor in the second half,” Ullom said, pointing to WLU's 15-of-19 showing from the charity stripe after intermission. “Every time it looked like Bluefield might be making a run, we'd make a couple of clutch free throws to keep them at bay.”

Southworth led all scorers with 23 points – 20 of them coming in the second half – while Hershberger and Blevins added 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Hershberger, whose 12 points tied a career-high, not only knocked down 10-of-11 free throws but handed out a game-high 6 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds.

“Erica did a very nice job of letting the game come to her tonight,” Ullom said. “She was a steadying influence for us at the point, especially in the second half, and that's exactly what this team needed.”

Diggs led Bluefield State with 18 points, including four 3-pointers.

The Hilltoppers return to action Tuesday night when they host Seton Hill in a 5:30 p.m. tipoff at the ASRC.

GAME NOTES

X Kayla Ayers, West Liberty's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, missed her second straight game with flu-like symptoms

X The Lady Blues haven't beaten the Hilltoppers since eking out a 53-49 decision at Blatnik Hall on Jan. 17, 1998

X West Liberty is now 57-7 in home conference games since the 2004-05 season