ERIE, Pa. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team used a late 10-0 run to break open a tight game and pull away to a 78-68 non-conference victory against Clarion (Pa.) Wednesday night at Tippin Gym.
    It was the second straight win for Coach Kyle Cooper's Hilltoppers (2-1), who shot a blistering 72 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter as they stormed back from their largest deficit of the night.
    West Liberty had led by as many as 11 points in the first half and seemed to have things well in hand, carrying a 34-26 advantage into the third quarter.
    The host Golden Eagles (0-3) weren't going away quietly, however. After being held to just 26 points in the first two quarters, Clarion scored 27 third-quarter points to turn the tables on the Black and Gold.
    A pair of Cory Santoro free throws gave the Golden Eagles their largest lead of the night, 53-44, in the waning seconds of the third quarter but the fourth quarter belonged to the Hilltoppers.
    West Liberty opened the final stanza on a 14-4 run and Anna Lucarelli's 3-pointer put WLU back on top, 58-57, with 5:34 remaining.
    The teams traded baskets for the next few possessions but with Clarion clinging to a 63-62 lead, Karly McCutcheon's driving layup at the 3:20 mark put the Hilltoppers ahead to stay, 64-63, and sparked the decisive late-game run.
    With WLU shutting the hosts down at the other end of the floor, McCutcheon and Bailee Smith began attacking the rim in earnest for the visitors.
    McCutcheon scored on each of the next two possessions for a 68-63 lead and Smith followed with back-to-back layups to put the game out of reach, 72-63, with just over a minute remaining.
    Smith finished with a game-high 20 points to lead another balanced attack for West Liberty. McCutcheon added 19 points and 4 assists with Corinne Thomas tossing in 17 points and grabbing 7 boards.
    Senior point guard Audrey Tingle made a run at a triple-double with 10 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists, her second consecutive double-double of the young season.
    Jada Smith and Santoro paced the Golden Eagles with 16 and 14 points, respectively. Abby Gatesman joined them in double figures with 11 points.
    The Hilltoppers return home on Saturday to open Mountain East Conference play with a 2 p.m. game against Alderson Broaddus at the ASRC.