West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team returns to the ASRC on Saturday evening for their lone home match-up in the month of December when they face West Virginia State. The Hilltoppers and Yellow Jackets are set for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off on the hilltop as the Black & Gold look to bounce back after their first conference loss of the year.

GAME DETAILS

• Location: West Liberty, W.Va. (Academic Sports & Recreation Complex "ASRC")
• Tip-Off: 5:30 P.M.
• SAAC Food Drive: The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SSAC) will continue their food drive at Saturday's basketball games. Donations can be any canned or non-perishable items and will go to the West Liberty University food pantry that all WLU students have access to. Drop off boxes will be at all ticketed entrances to the ASRC. An Amazon wish list to donate items is also attached above.

WEST LIBERTY STORYLINES

• West Liberty enters Saturday's game with a record of 5-3 (3-1 MEC) on the year following a 94-60 loss on the road at Charleston on Wednesday evening.
• The Hilltoppers are currently fourth in the MEC league standings.
• Through eight games, the Hilltoppers are averaging 75.6 points, 36.5 rebounds, 16.6 assists, 8.6 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 38.0 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from 3-point range, and 69.1 percent from the free throw line.
• WLU ranks within the top-30 of NCAA Division II in three statistical categories, ranking second in 3-pointers per game (11.2), third in 3-point attempts per game (33.0), and 27^th in assists per game (16.6).
• The Hilltoppers are led by three players who are averaging double figures as Corinne Thomas has averaged 18.3 points while Karly McCutcheon and Bailee Smith add 14.5 and 11.8 points per game respectively.
• Thomas has four games of 20 or more points this season while McCutcheon has two. Each of them have one double-double in 2023-24.
• Thomas has the most 3-pointers made per game in DII this season, knocking down an average of 3.88 per game. She also ranks second in the country with a total of 31 made baskets from deep. McCutcheon is another scoring threat from 3-point range as she ranks 22^nd nationally with 2.88 3-pointers per game in 2023-24. Thomas is shooting 37.8 percent and McCutcheon is 31.5 percent from beyond the arc. Thomas has made at least three 3-pointers in all eight games while McCutcheon has three or more in five contests.
• McCutcheon, Thomas, and Jenna Riccardo are the top rebounders on the team as they each average five or more boards a game. McCutcheon averages a team-high of 5.3 rebounds per game while Thomas and Riccardo grab 5.1 rebounds apiece.
• Thomas, Smith, and Bailey Beckstedt have been the facilitators of the Hilltopper offense. Thomas and Smith average a team-high 3.4 assists per game, while Beckstedt adds 3.0 assists per game.
• Beckstedt has posted a 1.60 assist/turnover ratio this season, dishing out 24 assists compared to 15 turnovers.
• Thomas leads the Black & Gold on the defensive side of the ball, forcing 2.1 steals per game, while Smith and McCutcheon add 1.4 and 1.3 steals per game respectively.
• McCutcheon and Paige Julian have made it difficult for opponents to get shots off by leading the team with 0.8 and 0.7 blocks per game respectively.
• Kyle Cooper is in his seventh season as the head coach at West Liberty with a career record of 97-76 with the Hilltoppers.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE STORYLINES

• West Virginia State enters Saturday's game with a record of 4-4 (2-3 MEC) on the year following a 63-56 overtime loss at home to Wheeling on Wednesday evening.
• WVSU entered the season at No. 16 in the WBCA Preseason Coaches' Poll and was the Preseason MEC Coaches' Poll favorite to win the league, however they are currently unranked and seventh in the conference standings.
• Through eight games the Yellow Jackets are averaging 82.5 points, 51.5 rebounds, 16.1 assists, 17.6 steals, and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting the ball 36.4 percent from the field, 23.9 percent from 3-point range, and 63.3 percent from the free throw line.
• West Virginia State ranks within the top-25 of NCAA Division II in seven statistical categories, leading the country in offensive rebounds per game (23.6), rebounds per game (51.50), and 3-point attempts per game (35.6), while also ranking fifth in turnovers forced per game (29.12), ninth in turnover margin (+8.00), tenth in scoring offense (82.5), and 13^th in 3-pointers per game (8.5)
• State is led by a pair of players who average double figures in scoring with Shelby Harmeyer leading the team with 12.0 points per game while Imani Reid has added 10.5 points.
• Harmeyer has knocked down a team-high 18 3-pointers this season, going 18-of-65 from beyond the arc for 27.7 percent. Hannah Shriver has the best shooting percentage from deep as she is 12-of-29 for 41.4 percent.
• Emyah Fortenberry is the top rebounder for the Yellow Jackets, grabbing 8.4 rebounds per game. She is also one of the top offensive rebounders in the country, ranking tenth in DII with 4.6 offensive boards per game. Another player to watch on the glass in Anysa Jordan who is averaging 6.3 rebounds per game.
• Shriver and ZZ Russell have been the floor generals for the West Virginia State offense, dishing out 2.8 and 2.6 assists per game respectively.
• Caroline Scott leads WVSU on the defensive side of the ball, averaging 2.1 steals per game, while Harmeyer is a close second with 1.9 steals.
• Fortenberry has contested opponents' shots and collected a team-high 0.8 blocks per game.
• Charles Marshall is in his eighth season as the head coach at West Virginia State, posting a record of 98-103 during his time with the Yellow Jackets. Overall, he is in his 11^th season as a collegiate head coach after spending three prior seasons at Glenville State and holds a career record of 159-132.

SERIES HISTORY

• West Liberty holds a 42-18 advantage in the all-time series record; however, West Virginia State has won six of the past eight meetings between the teams.
• The Hilltoppers won the most recent match-up on February 1, 2023, defeating the Yellow Jackets 101-92 in Institute, West Virginia, to snap a 5-game losing streak in the series.
• Grace Faulk and Karly McCutcheon had 23 and 21 points respectively and both connected on five 3-pointers in the win. McCutcheon also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds while Faulk also dished out six assists.