Women's Basketball | 1/19/2013 4:24:00 PM
Box Score ATHENS, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team broke open a close game with a 21-1 run that spanned both halves here Saturday afternoon and ran away to a 94-77 victory against Concord at the Carter Center.
Hillary Southworth scored a career-high 37 points to pace five double-figure scorers for the Hilltoppers (10-5, 8-3), who led the Mountain Lions (4-12, 3-7) by as many as 25 points in the second half.
The teams battled on virtually even terms for the better part of a first half that featured 7 ties and 9 lead changes before West Liberty picked up its intensity on the defensive end and slammed the door.
Concord snapped a 35-35 tie on a Jacqueline Kestner 3-pointer with 4:41 remaining in the opening half but that proved to be the hosts' final field goal for a very long time.
Following a
Jasmin Kiley free throw, Southworth forged the game's final tie, 38-38, with a driving layup at the 3:33 mark and
Jordan Stacey's 3-pointer put WLU ahead to stay, 41-38, with 3:10 left in the half.
Coach
Lynn Ullom's visitors stretched the margin to 47-39 at the break and scored the first 9 point of the second half to break the game open, 56-39, with just under 18 minutes to go and Concord never threatened again.
Southworth finished with 8 rebounds and 4 steals to go along with her career-high scoring total and got plenty of support from her teammates. Kiley tossed in 13 points while
Meghan Wiseman and
Emily Blevins checked in with a dozen each.
Bri Kamarec's 10 points rounded out West Liberty's double-figure scorers.
Stephanie Wagner and Rachel Artrip scored 15 points each to pace the Mountain Lions, who also got 14 points from Amanda Smith and a double-double – 10 points, 10 rebounds – from Kestner.
The Hilltoppers will be idle this week before returning to action with a 2 p.m. game at Wheeling Jesuit on Jan. 26.
