WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team is on the road taking on nationally-ranked West Virginia State tonight in Institute.

THE BASICS
February 1, 2023 | 5:30 pm | Walker Convocation Center (Institute, W.Va.)
West Liberty (12-8, 10-4 MEC) at West Virginia State (16-3, 11-3 MEC)
Live stats and video links will be available here.

THE HILLTOPPERS
West Liberty went 2-0 with wins over Davis & Elkins and West Virginia Wesleyan last week and was rewarded with its first regional ranking of the season, coming in at No. 9 in the latest D2SIDA Atlantic Region Rankings. WLU downed West Virginia Wesleyan, 77-35, holding them to single digits in all but one quarter of the game on Saturday. Thomas scored 25 points with 7 three pointers, Manzay had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, McCutcheon and Faulk scored 12 and 11 points respectively. The Hilltoppers started strong with 4 three pointers in the first 4 minutes and led 35-17 at halftime. They maintained a 20-point lead throughout the second half, reaching 44 points in the final minute. West Liberty shot 51% overall, 45.2% from beyond the arc, and held WVWC to 27.1% shooting with no three pointers. They turned 17 Bobcat turnovers into 28 points, including 15 points off turnovers in the second quarter, and outscored Wesleyan 18-1 on fast break. The Hilltoppers assisted on 21 of their 26 made field goals, with McCutcheon dishing out a game-high 6. It was the 17^th time in program history WLU held its opponent under 40 points and second time in the Coach Cooper era. 35 points allowed was the lowest since the record-setting 28-point defensive effort by WLU in 2003 against Salem.
 
The Hilltoppers are top-10 in DII in three different statistical categories, ranking third in assists per game (18.7), fifth in three pointers per game (10.0), and ninth in scoring offense (78.8). 10 of their 12 wins have come by double digits. West Liberty leads the conference in assists per game, field goal percentage (45.7%), defensive rebounds per game (28.6), and opponents three-point percentage (24.9%).
 
WLU has commanded the arc all season, 14 triples on Saturday was the eighth game with double-digit three pointers. On Wednesday the Black and Gold tied their season high with 17 triples. The Hilltoppers have made at least six in every game this season, while not allowing more than seven made threes in a game. They have made more threes than their opponents in every game this season and have held opponents to just one triple eight times. WLU did not allow a made three for the first time this season in Saturday's win at WVWC.
 
Manzay, a senior forward, posted her 10^th double-double of the season on Saturday making it three double-doubles in the last four games. She ranks third in DII and leads the conference with a 66.4% shooting percentage. Manzay is scoring 18.9 points per game and pulling in 9.9 rebounds, both are good for third in the MEC. The Texas native is a two-time MEC Player of the Week this season. She has scored double digits in all but two games and netted 20-plus nine times and reached 30 points twice.
 
McCutcheon, a sophomore guard, ranks ninth in DII and second in the MEC averaging 3.10 three pointers per game, while shooting 43.1% from beyond the arc. She is scoring 17.2 points per game and has double-digits in all but one outing. Last Wednesday was her sixth game with 20-plus, she also has hit the 30 mark twice this season. McCutcheon has one double-double on the season off a career-best day of 32 points, 12 rebounds, and eight three pointers at D&E. She has multiple three pointers in all but one game. McCutcheon also is second on the team dishing out 3.4 assists per game and has multiple seven straight games including six in the win at Wesleyan.
 
Grace Faulk drained a trio of three pointers on Saturday for her seventh straight game with multiple threes, while scoring 11 points. She has scored double digits in 10 of the last 11 outings and is averaging 11.4 points per game. Faulk nets 2.80 threes per game, the fourth most in the MEC and is shooting 38.1% from deep.
 
Reigning first team all-conference player Corinne Thomas had a breakout game draining seven three pointers on way to a 25-point outing at Wesleyan on Saturday. It was her fourth straight game in double digits. Since returning from an early season injury in January, Thomas has made multiple threes in eight of her nine games including six straight. She also has a pair of 5-assist games while recording at least one in nine of her 10 games played.
 
Sonia Sarda made her first two starts of her Hilltopper career last week and filled the stat sheets. In the win over D&E, she recorded 10 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, the ladder two game highs. Then posted seven points and seven rebounds on Saturday. Sarda is scoring 7.6 points per game and is second on the team with 15 steals this season.
 
Sophomore guard Anna Lucarelli leads the team averaging 3.9 assists per game. She has reached her career high (seven assists) four times this season, the most recent last against Alderson Broaddus on January 18. She also leads the team with 18 steals.
 
West Liberty is 5-4 in away games this season, 5-3 in MEC road action.

THE YELLOW JACKETS
West Virginia State is coming off a dominating 102-64 win over Frostburg State on Saturday after seeing a nine-game win streak get snapped last Wednesday at Fairmont State. The nine straight wins started with the 80-76 win at WLU on December 10.
 
The Yellow Jackets lead the country in scoring offense (89.3 points per game) along with total (52.68) and offensive (25.1) rebounds. They are second in DII forcing 28 turnovers per game, swiping 15.9 steals per game, and attempting 31.9 three pointers per game. WVSU is draining 8.8 triples per game, the 13^th most in DII. West Virginia State posts a +7.9-rebounding margin and +7.53-turnover margin on average.
 
Four players average double digits led by Destiny Fields scoring 13.4 points per game. Jordan Anysa nets 11.3, Shelby Harmeyer 10.5, and ZZ Russel 10.1 points per game.
 
Emyah Fortenberry paces the rebounding efforts, pulling in 8.6 per game with a conference leading and 7^th-best mark of 4.3 on the offensive.
 
Hannah Shriver leads the MEC in assists per game (4.8). Caroline Scott is atop the conference in steals per game (2.74).
 
11 players average over 15 minutes per game, Shriver is on the court the most at 21.1 minutes per game.
 
West Virginia State is 11-1 at home this season.

THE SERIES
The Hilltoppers have dropped five straight against the Yellow Jackets. This will be the 60^th all-time meeting between the programs, WLU holds the advantage 41-18 in a series that dates to 1981-82.
 
West Liberty dropped a hard-fought battle to WVSU in December, 80-76, at home. WLU started strong with five first-quarter threes to take a 23-19 lead. However, 10 turnovers in the third quarter led to 11 unanswered points for WVSU, who took a 61-52 lead into the fourth quarter. West Liberty tried to come back but couldn't get closer than two points, as WVSU sealed the win with late free throws. McCutcheon led all scorers with 21 points, while Manzay had 20 points and 17 rebounds. Sekulovska added 12 points with 3 triples in the first quarter. West Liberty had 19 assists on 30 made shots and WVSU had 19 steals and 17 fast-break points.
 
MEC STANDINGS
West Liberty: T4
West Virginia State: T2
Full Standings here.
 
NEXT UP
West Liberty will host Charleston on Saturday at 2 pm and will celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day. More information on the celebration to be announced tonight.

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