The Basics
The Fairmont State women's basketball team (5-2, 3-1 Mountain East Conference) will travel to Athens, W.Va. for a game at Concord on Tuesday (Dec. 6) at 5:30 p.m. The Fighting Falcons return to Joe Retton Arena on Saturday (Dec. 10) and will welcome the defending national champions, Glenville State at 2 p.m. Fairmont State will turn around and host California (Pa.) on Dec. 12 for a matinee tipoff at 2 p.m. in Fairmont.
 
Fighting Falcons Facts
 

• Last time at home, the Fighting Falcons came back after trailing by 16 points to No. 19 Charleston and won 78-71 in overtime. Alyssa DeAngelo hit a last-second three-pointer to send the game into overtime and scored 11 points to lead Fairmont State to a crucial MEC win.
• The Falcons' second-half comeback attempt at West Virginia State fell just short on Dec. 3. Fairmont State was down 25 points late in the second quarter and came back in the second half. Katy Darnell cut the deficit to one point after making a jump shot with 15 seconds on the clock in the fourth quarter. The Yellow Jackets hung on for a 90-85 win.
• The Falcons top all Division II teams in free throws made per game. Fairmont State averages 23.67 made free throws per game, which is over two free throws per game more than the second-highest team, Oklahoma Christian (21.50).
• Fairmont State maintains the fifth-highest scoring offense average in the country. The Fighting Falcons score an average of 84.7 points per game.
• Defensively, Fairmont State has caused 24.5 turnovers per game, which is tied for 16th in NCAA Division II.
• Fairmont State has claimed two MEC Player of the Week awards this season. Darnell was announced as MEC Player of the Week on Nov. 28 after netting 49 points from games versus West Virginia Wesleyan and Slippery Rock, which included a career-high 31-point performance versus The Rock. DeAngelo was awarded the honor on Nov. 21.
• DeAngelo is the MEC's top scorer, averaging 23.2 points per game. Her scoring average is the seventh-highest mark out of all Division II players.
• Darnell and DeAngelo have each made 42 free throw shots and both rank fourth in the nation.
• Jertaya Hall has reached double-digit point totals in five games. Hall's season-high came against Clarion, when she scored 14 points in the final game of the Atlantic Region Crossover.
• Jalen Gibbs reached double-figures in both games last week. Gibbs netted 16 points versus Charleston and grabbed 13 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. The junior from Wellington, Ohio totaled 11 points and five boards at West Virginia State.
• Madeline Huffman and Gracey Lamm have facilitated the Fairmont State offensive attack at the point guard position. The two have combined for 35 assists after the season's first seven games. Huffman distributed eight assists in two games last week, while Lamm dished out a game-high six assists versus West Virginia Wesleyan.
• Aaliyah Brunny turned in her second double-digit scoring performance versus Charleston on Nov. 30. Brunny chipped in three steals and two assists in Fairmont State's overtime win.
• Freshman Leslie Huffman shot 46.2% from the field and 60% from beyond the arc in games last week. She has averaged 6.3 points per game in her freshman campaign.
• Stephanie Anderson's fourth season at the helm of the Fairmont State women's basketball program is underway. Anderson guided the Falcons to their best start since the 2015-16 season.

 
Scouting Concord
Concord picked up its first MEC win on Saturday (Dec. 3) after beating Notre Dame (Ohio), 77-64 in Athens. The Mountain Lions enter this week with a 2-5 overall record and a 1-3 record versus conference opponents. The Concord offense is led by Maggie Guynn and Abbie Smith, who each hold a scoring average north of 11.0 points per game. The bulk of rebounding duties is handled by Abbie Smith and Alexis Phillips, who both average more than eight rebounds per game. Concord has outrebounded its opponents by an average of 4.9 rebounds per game. Tesla Southcott took over as the head coach of Concord women's basketball this past spring. Southcott assumes the head role after serving as an assistant coach under Kenny Osborne for eight seasons.
 
Scouting Glenville State
Coming fresh off a successful national championship run, Glenville State has begun the 2022-23 season with a 5-1 record. The only loss GSU suffered this season is the same team that handed the Pioneers their only loss during the 2021-22 season, the Charleston Golden Eagles. Glenville State's offense leads the country in scoring and has posted an average of 90.0 points per game. Breanna Campbell, a junior from Largo, Fla., is the top scorer and rebounder for the Pioneers and has averaged 15.8 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game. Campbell also owns a team-leading 20 assists. Mickayla Perdue is a scoring threat from the perimeter for GSU. Perdue is shooting 45.5% from three-point range and has swished 18 three-pointers. Reigning D-II Women's Basketball National Coach of the Year and MEC Women's Sports Coach of the Year Kim Stephens returns to the sidelines for GSU. The Glenville State alumna was the team captain for the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) Championship-winning team in 2010-11.
 
Scouting California (Pa.)
The Vulcans enter the week of Dec. 5 with a 4-3 record. Cal U is 2-1 versus MEC opponents and has wins versus West Liberty and Alderson Broaddus while losing to Charleston. The Vulcans kicked off conference play by dropping games to Shippensburg and Lock Haven. California (Pa.) will not return to the court until their matchup at Fairmont State on Dec. 12. Ciara Loyd has averaged 16.0 points per game in the Vulcans' first seven games of the season. Phillipsburg, Pa. native Halle Herrington has sank a team-high 15 three-point shots. Senior forward Rajah Fink has racked up 73 rebounds, good for 10.4 rebounds per game. Cal U is led by Jess Storm, who is the all-time winningest coach in program history. Under Storm's tutelage, the Vulcans captured the 2015 NCAA National Championship. Storm was a four-year starter at Penn State and was a three-time All-Big Ten honoree.
 
Up Next
The Fighting Falcons will head for the Hawaiian Islands next weekend for a pair of games. Fairmont State will face the Vulcans of Hawai'i Hilo at its home court on Dec. 17. The Falcons' getaway to Hawaii will conclude on Dec. 18 in Honolulu with a matchup versus Western Washington, the 2022 NCAA D-II national runners-up.