Ashland, Ohio – In the final game of the 2023 calendar year for the West Liberty University women's basketball team, the Hilltoppers fell to No. 1 Ashland 100-68 on Monday evening. WLU and AU were tied after a hot shooting start to the game for both teams, however the Eagles used a 12-2 and 15-2 scoring run to take control of the game in the second quarter.
 
QUICK DETAILS
Final Score: West Liberty 68, No. 1 Ashland 100
Team Records: West Liberty 5-7 (3-2 MEC), No. 1 Ashland 9-1 (3-0 GMAC)
Attendance: 729
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• West Liberty led by as many as four points in the first quarter following a layup by Karly McCutcheon to make it 16-12 and a pair of free throws by Bailee Smith which made it 18-14 with 3:28 left in the opening period. Ashland tied the game at 23 apiece with a jumper at the buzzer to end the quarter. Both teams shot better than 50 percent in the first with WLU shooting 8-of-15 (53.3%) and AU shooting 11-of-18 (61.1%) from the field.
• The Eagles built a double digit lead with a 12-2 scoring run to open the second quarter, making it 35-25 with 5:20 left in the half. Moments later back-to-back 3-pointers by Corinne Thomas cut the deficit to six points (39-33) with only 3:40 left in the period, but AU entered the break on a 15-2 scoring run to push the lead to 54-35.
• A basket from beyond the arc by Bailey Beckstedt cut the lead down to 15 points in the midst of a 12-9 advantage for WLU to open the second half. Shortly after the media timeout McCutcheon knocked down her second 3-pointer of the quarter to once again bring the Hilltoppers within 15 points, 67-52 with 2:29 left in the third, however the Eagles ended the period on an 11-0 scoring run and a 78-52 lead.
• A jumper by Smith and McCutcheon helped the Hilltoppers stay even with the Eagles in fourth quarter scoring, 4-4 in the period, before a 10-0 scoring run for Ashland pushed the lead to 36 points with 4:21 left in the game. After a layup gave AU their largest lead of the game at 39 points (100-61) with 1:54 remaining, WLU ended the game on a 7-0 scoring run as Faulk scored four points with a 3-pointer and free throw and Thomas connected on her fifth 3-pointer of the game.
• West Liberty shot 24-of-58 (41.4%) from the field, 10-of-23 (43.5%) from 3-point range, and 10-of-14 (71.4%) from the free throw line compared to 44-of-71 (62.0%) from the field, 2-of-6 (33.3%) from 3-point range, and 10-of-19 (52.6%) from the free throw line for Ashland.
• Thomas matched a season-high of 23 points in tonight's game, marking her fifth game of 20 or more points this year. She was joined in double figures scoring by McCutcheon with 14 points and Riccardo with ten points.
• Four WLU players connected on a 3-pointer in the game as Thomas knocked down a game-high five shots from beyond the arc while McCutcheon and Faulk each connected on two from deep.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS
Corinne Thomas: 23 points, 5-of-10 3-pointers, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Karly McCutcheon: 14 points, 2-of-6 3-pointers, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Jenna Riccardo: 10 points, 4-of-5 field goals, 3 rebounds,
 
UP NEXT
West Liberty will next be in action after the new year when they welcome Frostburg State to the hilltop in a return to MEC play. The Hilltoppers and Bobcats are set for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off inside the friendly confines of the ASRC.