WHEELING, W.Va. – The Fairmont State women's basketball team (10-5, 6-3 Mountain East Conference) outscored Wheeling (8-8, 6-3 MEC) 36-18 in the final 13:12 of regulation, but fell in overtime at Alma McDonough Center in Wheeling, W.Va.
Three Fighting Falcons finished in double figures, with
Alyssa DeAngelo leading the way with 24 points.
Aaliyah Brunny scored 19 points and hit a pair of three-point baskets while
Katy Darnell tallied 14.
Jalen Gibbs collected nine boards and five offensive rebounds.
Leslie Huffman forced three steals, while DeAngelo, Darnell and
Laney Whitmore all came up with two steals each.
Fairmont State shot 24-of-68 from the field and 4-of-15 from deep. The Fighting Falcons attempted 41 shots from the free-throw line and knocked down 29. Fairmont State forced 26 Wheeling turnovers and held the Cardinals to a 33.3% shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Wheeling finished the game with 20 more rebounds than Fairmont State, with Lauren Calhoun leading the rebounding effort with 15 boards.
With Fairmont State trailing 16-8 in the first few minutes of the opening quarter, the Fighting Falcons went on a nine-point scoring spree to take the lead. Layups from Gibbs and Darnell started the run, and a pair of free throws by Whitmore gave the Fighting Falcons a 17-16 advantage. The Cards regained the lead after scoring the last four points of the quarter.
Gracey Lamm found Darnell for a three to put the Fighting Falcons back ahead 22-20. Lamm found another passing lane and hit Brunny, who swished a deep three to keep the Fighting Falcons in front. The Cardinals amassed a key 13-point scoring run in the second quarter and led by 10 points late in the first half.
Noah Harris etched a layup before the buzzer to trim the deficit to eight points.
Wheeling continued to extend its lead in the third quarter. The Cardinals scored three-consecutive threes and two free throws to push their lead to 18 points late in the third quarter. Fairmont State fought back and responded with a 7-0 run before the end of the third quarter. With the Fighting Falcons trailing by 12 points with less than seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Brunny and DeAngelo scored a combined 12 points in a span of 1:24 that evened the score at 68. DeAngelo dished a bounce pass to Darnell who picked up a bucket and a foul. Darnell sank the free throw to give Fairmont State its first lead since the second quarter. Wheeling went up four points, but Darnell and DeAngelo converted four free throws and the score was tied with 20 seconds to go. Wheeling and Fairmont State both had a chance to shoot a pair of free throws in the closing seconds of regulation, and both teams went 1-of-2 from the line. An additional five minutes were needed to determine a winner.
The home team began overtime by scoring the first nine points of the period and holding the Fighting Falcons scoreless for over three and a half minutes.
Leslie Huffman chipped in a pair of makes at the free throw line to cut into the Wheeling lead. The Cards knocked down four free throws in the last minute of play and came out on top, 92-81.
The Fairmont State women's basketball team will shift its focus to Saturday's home game versus the West Liberty Hilltoppers. The two teams will meet at Joe Retton Arena on Saturday (Jan. 14) at 2 p.m.
