FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The Fairmont State women's basketball team kicked off the 2022-23 season with a pair of wins in the Atlantic Region Crossover. The Falcons earned a hard-fought victory over Winston-Salem State on Friday (Nov. 11) and then defeated Clarion on Saturday (Nov. 12) at Joe Retton Arena.
 
On Friday, Katy Darnell's 27 points led all scorers. Darnell hit 10 shots from the field and drained seven free throws. The senior from Charleston, W.Va. was two rebounds shy of a double-double. Alyssa DeAngelo (14), Jertaya Hall (12) and Madeline Huffman (11) all turned in double-digit scoring performances for Fairmont State.
 
The Falcons capitalized on the Rams turnover woes, scoring 22 points off turnovers. Fairmont State led by as many as 11 in the third quarter. Winston-Salem state fought back and posted a seven-point scoring run to cut into the Fairmont State lead. Taniah Wilkins tipped in a second chance basket to give WSSU the lead in the third quarter. The Rams held a one-point lead heading into the final period of play.
 
The fourth quarter featured nine lead changes. The Rams jumped out to their largest lead of the fourth quarter with 4:52 remaining. The Falcons generated an 11-point scoring run to pad a seven-point lead with less than a minute to go. Huffman broke the tie with a triple and Darnell put FSU up five points with a fast break layup with less than 90 seconds remaining. Hall grabbed an offensive board and made a put back layup to seal the game for the Falcons.
 
On Saturday versus Clarion, DeAngelo sank four shots beyond the arc and dropped 25 points. Darnell fired 16 points and brought down seven boards. Hall penned 14 points and distributed a game-high four assists.
 
The Falcons closed out the first quarter on a 10-2 run and led 18-8 after 10 minutes of play. Fairmont State and Clarion each scored 22 points in the second quarter, and the Fighting Falcons held a 10-point lead at half. Fairmont State began the second half on a 8-0 run, which included two triples from DeAngelo and a layup by Darnell. The Falcons outscored the Golden Eagles by five points in the third quarter and led by 15 after three. The Fighting Falcons' lead grew to as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter.
 
Following the 2-0 start, the Fighting Falcons will open Mountain East Conference play on Saturday (Nov. 19) on the road at Davis & Elkins. The game will begin at 2 p.m. from the McDonnell Center in Elkins, W.Va.