WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team battled back from an early deficit but couldn't get over the hump here Wednesday night as Urbana pulled away to a 95-86 victory at the ASRC.
    The Blue Knights (11-6, 7-4) opened the game with a 9-0 burst and led by as many as a dozen points in the opening quarter only to see Coach Kyle Cooper's Hilltoppers (7-10, 3-8) come storming back.
    A Taylor Johnson 3-pointer closed the gap to 27-22 at the quarter break before Olivia Belknap's driving layup made it a one-possession game, 27-24, at the start of the second frame as the two high-scoring teams traded offensive spurts for the rest of the night.
    "I'm sure it was a fun game for the fans but obviously we wanted a different outcome," Cooper said. "What impressed me tonight was the way our girls weathered that early storm against a very talented team and responded. We just couldn't find a way to finish plays in crucial situations.
    "When you have a game where both teams are making runs, it's all about how each team handles the sudden change that goes along with that. They were a little better at that tonight than we were."
    Urbana answered Belknap's basket with 11 straight points to take a 38-24 lead as the clock turned under 7 minutes but 3-pointers from Morgan Brunner, Corinne Thomas and Johnson followed by a Johnson jumper equaled that 11-0 run and made it a 3-point game once again, 38-35, at the 5-minute media timeout.
    Johnson, who came into the game having missed her last 12 3-point attempts, drained three of them in the first half alone on her way to a game-high 26 points.
    "I had been in a bit of a slump so it felt good to see the ball going through the net again," Johnson said. "I have to give credit to my teammates for their confidence in me and setting me up with great looks. Seeing that really helped my confidence."
    After WLU cut the lead to two points, 44-42, Urbana's Lexie Wright scored the final five points of the half and the visitors took a 49-42 lead into the locker room at the break.
    The Hilltoppers made several comeback attempts in the second half but the Blue Knights - who shot a blistering 9-of-14 from the 3-point arc with seven players making at least one bonus bomb - were able to keep them at arm's length the rest of the way.
    Senior transfer Tyra James had a monster game for the visitors. The former Florida A&M standout had a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in the first quarter and finished the night with 26 points, 21 rebounds and 9 assists. The 21 rebounds broke the ASRC record for a visiting player.
    Sylvia Hudson backed James with 23 points in 24 minutes while Kami McEldowney and Bailey Draughn added 11 points each.
    "Those are two of the best players in the league," Cooper said. "James is a special, special talent and Hudson has had a spectacular career."
    There were some bright spots on the Hilltoppers' side of the ledger. Brunner knocked down six more 3-pointers and put 20 points on the board while junior point guard Audrey Tingle had 17 points, 8 assists and 4 steals - all season-highs. Belknap added 11 points.
    "I thought our crowd was just off the charts tonight and we really appreciate the support," Cooper said. "There's no better place to play winning basketball than West Liberty and we're working very hard every day to get there."
    The Lady Hilltoppers make the short trip down Route 88 to Wheeling University on Sunday for a 2 p.m. tipoff.