WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — West Liberty dropped their Mountain East Conference contest to Charleston Golden Eagles, 79–65, Saturday afternoon at the ASRC.
Charleston built an early cushion with a 20–10 first quarter and maintained control throughout, using transition opportunities and second-chance scoring to keep the Hilltoppers at bay. West Liberty finished with 30 points in the paint and held a 6–2 edge in steals but was unable to overcome 18 points allowed off turnovers.
The Hilltoppers faced an early deficit as Charleston opened the game with a 14–2 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Ksenija Mitric at the 9:14 mark. Reagan Vinskovich briefly sparked West Liberty with a layup at 4:34, but the Golden Eagles continued to find success inside and closed the quarter up 20–10.
Charleston extended its lead in the second quarter with a 12–0 run to go ahead 30–15 midway through the period. West Liberty received baskets from Jameka Brungard and Anna Lucarelli, but Charleston carried a 44–25 advantage into halftime.
West Liberty responded coming out of the break. Lucarelli opened the third quarter with a fast-break 3-pointer, and Olivia Baker followed with a triple at the 5:44 mark to cut into the deficit. The Hilltoppers leaned on interior scoring and outscored Charleston 22–14 in the period, trimming the margin to 58–47 heading into the fourth.
Baker continued the surge early in the final quarter, knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers — both assisted by Anna Lucarelli — to pull West Liberty within four at 58–54. Baker's layup and foul would cut the lead to 59-57 with 7:54 to play.However, Charleston answered with steady scoring at the free-throw line and in the paint, pushing the lead back to double digits down the stretch to secure the win.
Baker led West Liberty with 21 points, connecting on 5-of-11 attempts from beyond the arc. Vinskovich recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Anna Lucarelli filled the stat sheet with five assists and four steals.
West Liberty (6-14, 3-10 MEC) returns to action Wednesday, hosting Davis & Elkins Senators at the ASRC with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
