FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Fairmont State Women's Basketball suffered a 71-69 setback to Wheeling University on Monday night in Mountain East Conference.
Sierra Kotchman now holds the school record in all-time games with 121 consecutive games and starts in a Fighting Falcon uniform.
The Fighting Falcons are now 10-6 on the season and 8-3 in MEC play while the Cardinals improve to 4-11 on the year and 4-7 in conference action.
Wheeling pushed out to a double-digit lead after a three-pointer from Shanley Woods at the 4:12 mark of the first quarter, but Kotchman answered with eight quick points of her own to trim the advantage to four points. Kotchman hit another triple to only trail Wheeling by one point after the first quarter as Kotchman led the way in the first with 16 points.
In the second quarter,
Katy Darnell gave the Falcons the lead for the first time of the game, but Cardinal Taylor Cullen collected a three-pointer with 9:23 left in the half. The Cardinals rapidly grabbed the margin back in their favor and went into the halftime break up 39-33 after a jumper from Cullen.
Wheeling elevated their lead to double-digits once more at 14 points with a jumper from Ava Lickliter, but a Kotchman three with 2:21 remaining in the third quarter cut the deficit to four points once again. Wheeling used timely layups from Ally Ziegler to have the 56-49 lead heading to the final 10 minutes.
Fairmont State came out with a full-court press to speed up the Cardinals as Darnell earned the basket and a made free throw at the line to trim the Wheeling advantage to four points. The Falcons would then use a 8-0 run capped off by a jumper from Darnel to retake the lead at 67-66. Wheeling's Shamia Strayhorn found the answer to regain the lead for the Cardinals at 68-67 and doubled the Cardinal lead at 69-67 with a free throw make. Kotchman turned a steal by Darnell into two points to knot the score at 69 apiece with 1:42 left in regulation. Wheeling's Lauren Calhoun earned a trip to the free-throw line and buried two from the charity stripe as WHL picked up the 71-69 victory after a missed shot from Kotchman at the buzzer.
Kotchman paced all scorers with 26 points on the night in 40 minutes and grabbed five rebounds for Fairmont State. Darnell had a quality game with 20 points and eight rebounds and added six of her 20 points from the charity stripe.
Alyssa DeAngelo joined her teammates in double-figures with 11 points.
For Wheeling, Lauren Calhoun was an impact player inside the paint with 25 points and 21 rebounds on the night as Strayhorn registered 12 points in the win. Wheeling held the advantage in second-chance points with 17 to Fairmont State's five. The Cardinals outrebounded the Falcons 46-27 inside Joe Retton Arena.
Fairmont State (10-, 8-3 MEC) travels to Institute, W.Va. on Wednesday, January 26th to take on West Virginia State at 5:30 p.m. in a MEC contest.
