WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – A cold-shooting second half foiled a spirited upset bid by the West Liberty University women's team on Saturday as Concord stormed from behind to take a 79-68 decision at the ASRC.
    Coach Kyle Cooper's Hilltoppers (9-15, 5-13) used a strong second quarter to build a 40-32 halftime lead but couldn't maintain the pace over the final 20 minutes against the visiting Mountain Lions (16-8, 12-6).
    "We had a good game plan and the girls executed it very well," Cooper said. "Unfortunately, we just didn't shoot the ball well enough in the second half to stay with a team as talented and well coached as Concord."
    Trailing 28-22 following a power post by 6-4 Mountain Lion junior Riley Fitzwater with just over 4 minutes left in the opening half, West Liberty suddenly caught fire from the perimeter.
    Morgan Brunner and Corinne Thomas each drained a pair of 3-pointers – with Brunner's coming on back-to-back possessions in the final minute of the quarter – and WLU closed the half on an 18-4 run to take a 40-32 lead into the locker room.
    "We were sharing the ball very well, getting great looks and turning those great looks into points," Cooper said, "but a big part of that run was the job we did defensively, holding them to just two baskets over the last four minutes."
    Inexplicably, as hot as the Hilltoppers were in the second quarter, that's how cold they were when play resumed.
    After hitting five of its last six shots in the second half, West Liberty went just 3-for-20 from the floor in the third quarter and Concord took full advantage.
    The visitors outscored WLU, 26-7, over the first nine minutes of the third quarter to open up a double-digit lead, 58-47. The Hilltoppers closed the gap to 58-52 heading into the fourth quarter on a pair of Brunner free throws and an Olivia Belknap 3-pointer but the damage had been done.
    West Liberty got the margin down to four points, 60-56, on a Belknap jumper with 7:36 to go but the Mountain Lions reeled off 10 unanswered points to put the game out of reach, 70-56, with under 4 minutes remaining.
    "The frustrating thing is we were still moving well, still sharing the ball and still getting great looks in the second half," Cooper said. "The shots just wouldn't drop for us. It's tough to see your kids execute and not be rewarded."
    Belknap had another strong game with four 3-pointers and a team-high 23 points while Taylor Johnson added 16 points and Brunner – who drained her 200th career 3-pointer in the first half – just missed a double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds.
    Junior point guard Audrey Tingle was held scoreless but also just missed a double-double with 13 rebounds and a season-high 9 assists. Tingle handed out her 500th career assist early in the second half.
    Senior guard Madison May led the way for Concord with 38 points and 13 rebounds while Fitzwater finished with 15 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.
    The Lady Hilltoppers look to get back on track Wednesday night when they make their first-ever trip to Frostburg, Md. to take on MEC newcomer Frostburg State. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.