Athens, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team fell to Concord University, 81-71, in a Mountain East Conference (MEC) matchup Saturday afternoon at the Carter Center.

The Hilltoppers (8-18, 6-13 MEC) built a commanding 11-point halftime lead (38-27) after outscoring the Mountain Lions 23-7 in a dominant second quarter. However, Concord (14-12, 10-8 MEC) flipped the script in the third quarter, storming back to take a 56-55 lead heading into the final period.

With the game knotted at 61-61 and 7:41 remaining, the Mountain Lions seized momentum with a 7-0 run, pulling ahead 68-61. West Liberty battled back, and a clutch three-pointer from Anna Lucarelli at the 2:58 mark cut the deficit to 72-69. However, Concord closed the game on a 9-2 surge to seal the victory.

Jenna Riccardo led the Hilltoppers with a near double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Bailee Smith and Anna Lucarelli each added 12 points, while Karli Anker chipped in 10.

Up Next:

West Liberty returns home for its final two games of the regular season, hosting Salem on Wednesday before closing out conference play against rival Wheeling next Saturday.

Game Details:

West Liberty (8-18, 6-13 MEC) – 71
Concord (14-12, 10-8 MEC) – 81