WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team wraps up regular season non-conference play Monday at Bluefield State.

THE BASICS
January 16, 2023 | 5:00 pm | Ned E. Shott Gym (Bluefield, W.Va.)
West Liberty (9-6, 7-3 MEC) at Bluefield State (7-9)
Live stats and video links will be available here.

THE HILLTOPPERS
West Liberty made it two straight wins with a statement victory over Fairmont State Saturday on the road. The Hilltoppers made a season-high 17 three pointers and 25 assists on 27 made field goals propelling them to the key conference win. A 23-13 third quarter that featured runs of 11-2 and 10-2 created all the separation the Black and Gold would need rolling to the double-digit win. Fairmont State was held to just two three pointers in the game and went 0-for-6 beyond the arc in the second half. Grace Faulk and Arriana Manzay led the Hilltoppers with 18 points each, as Faulk tied her career-high with six triples and Manzay posted her seventh double-double of the season pulling in 12 rebounds.
 
Manzay, a senior forward, is top-five in Division II shooting 66.5% from the field and is top-10 averaging 20.3 points per game. She also ranks top-20 in rebounds per game, at 10.3. Manzay has seven double-doubles on the season and has scored double-digits in all but one game featuring eight 20-point games and two 30-point outings. The Texas native has two MEC Player of the Week honors this season.
 
Faulk, a junior guard, has made 27 three pointers over the last six games and is shooting 58.7% during that span. Saturday was the second time she tied her career-high with six long balls in the win. Faulk has scored double digits in six straight games; she also has pulled in 15 rebounds over the last two games and dished out a career-high seven assists. The Imperial, Pa native is averaging 11.7 points per game and shooting 40.2% from deep averaging.
 
The Hilltoppers are top-10 in the country in points per game (79.3) and assists per game (18.3). They drain 9.7 three pointers per game, top-15 in DII, while outshooting opponents 37% to 26.7% from deep. West Liberty has made at least seven three pointers in every game with double-digit three pointers in five games, while holding opponents to seven or less in every game and six times opponents have made just one long ball. The Hilltoppers are 9-1 when scoring 78 or more points.
 
Sophomore guard Karly McCutcheon has scored double digits in five straight games and in all but one outing this season. She has been filling the stat sheets with nine and eight rebounds in the last two games and 14 assists over the last three games. McCutcheon has made multiple three pointers in every game and is shooting 45.3% from deep. Her 3.2 triples per game ranks top-five in DII. McCutcheon has one double-double on the season with a career-high 12 rebounds and eight three pointers in a 32-point afternoon at Davis and Elkins.
 
Division I transfer Natalija Sekulovska drained a career-best four three pointers in a 14-point outing on Saturday, her fifth game in double digits this season. Graduate transfer Sonia Sarda scored nine points just missing her fourth straight double figure game and has had multiple threes in three straight games.
 
Reigning first team all-conference selection Corinne Thomas scored a season-high nine points on Saturday off three triples in her fourth game back from injury.
 
Anna Lucarelli (3.7) and McCutcheon (3.5) lead the team averaging over three assists per game. McCutcheon dished out a career-high eight in the first win of the season over Mercyhurst, while Lucarelli has tied her career-high, of 7, three times.
 
This is the Hilltoppers second win streak of the season, the other being a four-game stretch to start MEC play. West Liberty is 4-2 on the road.

THE BIG BLUE
Bluefield State has lost four straight games and nine of its last 11 after starting the season 5-0. The Big Blue dropped its most recent matchup on Saturday at home against UVA Wise, 69-58. They have played five MEC opponents with wins over Concord, Davis & Elkins, and West Virginia Wesleyan, then losses to Charleston and West Virginia State, all at home. Bluefield State is 7-4 at home this season.
 
The Big Blue are averaging 69.7 points per game and allowing 69.2. They are shooting 37.1% from the field and 29.4% from three, while opponents are making 43.4% of their shots and 28.6% from long range. BSU averages 28.7 three pointers per game, the seventh most in DII. They also force the 10^th most turnovers per game (23.81) and hold a +5.50-turnover margin. Bluefield State is 6-2 when scoring over 70 points.
 
6'0" forward Londen Coleman (10.5 ppg) and point guard Rori Cox (10.3 ppg) lead the offense averaging double digits. Senior Essence Cowan leads the outside shooting averaging 2.6 three pointers per game and is shooting 36.6% beyond the arc. 5'10" guard Dani Janutolo leads the Big Blue on the glass averaging 6.3 rebounds per game with just under 40% of those coming on the offensive end.

THE SERIES
This will be the 43^rd meeting between the schools, with West Liberty holding an all-time series lead of 26-16. Since 2011-12 the Hilltoppers have won all four meetings, three of which were in West Liberty. This will be the first trip to Bluefield since January 26, 2012, when WLU battled out a 70-68 win. Last season, the matchup renewed for the first time since 2013 and West Liberty rolled to a 92-41 win on its home court.

NEXT UP
West Liberty will be back home on Wednesday for its first rematch of the season hosting Alderson Broaddus inside the ASRC at 5:30 pm.

Follow Hilltopper basketball all season online at HilltopperSports.com and on Twitter (@WLU_Hoops | @WLathletics), Instagram (@wlu_wbb | @wlu_athletics), and Facebook.