FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- No. 20 West Liberty scored 10 of the game's final 12 points to outlast Fairmont State, 67-61, on Thursday night at Joe Retton Arena.
 
West Liberty improves to 18-3 overall and 13-2 in the Mountain East Conference. FSU slips to 15-6 overall and 9-6 in the league, dropping its second game in a row.
 
Fairmont State led 59-57 following a three-pointer by Emily Puskarich before back-to-back scores from Kailee Howe and Kiki Simpson gave the Hilltoppers the lead back for good. In the final 3:31 of the game, the Falcons managed to make just two of their final nine shots. FSU also made just four field goals in the final six minutes of the game.
 
The Falcons led just one time in the first 20 minutes of the game, holding a 6-2 advantage at the 8:03 mark of the first quarter. West Liberty broke out to an early 10-point lead late in the first before taking an 18-10 lead in to the second quarter of action.

FSU trailed by as many as 13 in the second quarter, West Liberty's largest lead of the game, before using an 11-2 run over the final 4:58 of the quarter to go to the locker room trailing just 29-27. Emily Puskarich and Gabrielle Etter hit crucial threes during the stretch for FSU.
 
The largest lead of the third quarter was just three points by West Liberty, before Fairmont finally regained the lead on a three by Etter as time expired.
 
The Hilltoppers outshot Fairmont, 45.0-39.1, and held a 44-33 rebounding edge in the narrow win. Both teams made just four threes in the game.
 
Deidra Combs paced Fairmont State with 18 points, five rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots. Katie Nunan scored 14 and Emily Puskarich chipped in 12 points and a team-high four assists.
 
Simpson finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead West Liberty. Liz Flowers filled the stat sheet with 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Howe had 15 points but was forced into 10 turnovers in the game.
 
The Falcons will look to rebound when they travel to Wheeling Jesuit for a 2 p.m. tip of Saturday afternoon.