Complete Game Notes (PDF)

The Matchup
- The sixth-seeded Fairmont State women's basketball team will open Mountain East Conference Tournament play with a quarterfinal matchup against third-seeded Charleston on Thursday at 2:15 p.m. at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling.
- Fairmont State and Charleston will meet for the 58th time on Thursday afternoon, with the Golden Eagles holding a 33-24 all-time series lead in a series that began back in 1979.
- Charleston had four-straight wins in the series, including a pair of double-digit wins this season.
- The Falcons' last win in the series came back on Feb. 15, 2018 in Fairmont – a 56-54 victory.
- Earlier this season, UC picked up an 82-68 victory in Fairmont on Dec. 4, before sweeping the season home-and-home with an 88-78 win in Charleston on Feb. 1.
- Fairmont State ended the regular season with win in four of its last five games, with the loss coming in the season finale against Frostburg State, 79-70.
- During that stretch, Sierra Kotchman recorded four 20-point scoring performances – including 29 points against West Liberty (2/23/20) and Frostburg State (2/29/20).
- Charleston has won 10 of its last 12 games to wrap up the regular season, with the only losses coming against Notre Dame College (74-67) and Glenville State (89-60). Charleston comes into the game with a 22-6 overall record, including a 17-5 mark in league play.

At the MEC Tournament
- Prior to last season's first-round exit, the Falcons had advanced to the semifinal final round in three-consecutive tournaments from 2016-2018, including a championship game appearance in 2017.
- The Falcons are 7-6 in MEC Tournament play, and have been the No. 5 seed in five of their six appearances (No. 7 seed last season).
- This will be the second time Fairmont State and Charleston have met in the MEC Tournament. Their first tournament meeting was back in the 2017 semifinals, a 72-57 Fairmont State victory to send the Falcons to the championship game.
- Charleston has advanced to the semifinals just three times since the inaugural tournament in 2014. The Golden Eagles made a championship appearance in 2014, a semifinal appearance in 2017, and a championship appearance last season.

Noteworthy
- Fairmont State's 80.4 points per game currently ranks 10th in the country and fourth in the high-scoring Mountain East Conference. The MEC is the highest-scoring league in the country, regardless of classification.
- The Falcons also rank 9th in the country and first in the league in free throw percentage (79.3).
- Fairmont State made double-digit 3-pointers in 11 games this season, the Falcons were 7-4 in those games.
- The Lady Falcons currently have three players on their roster with 1,000 career points, including Kotchman (1,620), Kurucz (1,103), and Laskody (1,066). Kotchman is currently 8th in school history in scoring and needs just 5 more points to move past Vonda Shaw (1,624) for seventh in program history. Kurucz is currently tied for 23rd in program history with 1,103 points, and Laskody ranks 27th with 1,066 points.

Postseason Honors for Kotchman & Laskody
Sierra Kotchman
- Kotchman was named a first-team selection for the second year in a row, after being named a second team selection and the league's freshman of the year back in 2017-18.
- Kotchman averaged 20.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists to lead the Falcons this season. The junior also chipped in 37 steals, shot 38 percent from behind the arc, and was nearly an 87 percent free throw shooter. 
- Kotchman led the Falcons in scoring 16 times this season, and recorded 14 scoring performances of 20+ points on the season.
- Kotchman is also climbing the school record book in a number of categories as a junior, including rankings eighth all-time in points (1,620). She is also currently tied for first in school history with 258 made 3-point field goals in her career (Kristen Gattuso, 2001-05). 
- Kotchman currently ranks 27th among active scorers in NCAA Division II women's basketball with another season to play. In addition, her 258 career 3-pointers rank in a tie for ninth place among active players in NCAA Division II.
- In addition, her 97 three-pointers this season rank as the third-most in program history. The single-season program record was set by Ashley Reed with 116 in 2006.
- The 97 three-point field goals this season rank as the sixth-most in the country.

Rachel Laskody
- Rachel Laskody also earned All-Mountain East Conference honors for the second consecutive season, earning second-team honors as a senior, and MEC honorable mention as a junior
- This season, Laskody ranks second on the team in scoring (14.4) and first in rebounding (8.3) for the Falcons. 
- The senior shot over 57 percent from the field and also chipped in 52 assists, 38 steals and 33 blocked shots on the season. 
- Laskody's 57.1 percent field-goal percentage ranks 21st in the country and fifth in the MEC.
- Laskody reached double-figures in 24 games, including two 20-point scoring performances and eight double-doubles.
- Laskody currently ranks 27th in program history with 1,066 points, and her career field goal percentage of 56.5 percent ranks second in school history behind Sidney Thomas (.568 from 2002-06).
- In addition to going over 1,000 career points on Feb. 15 against Urbana, Laskody has also racked up 641 rebounds, 123 assists, 96 steals and 79 blocked shots during her career.