FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Seven Fairmont State women's basketball players scored eight or more points in Saturday's (Feb. 4) 87-71 win over Concord (8-13, 6-10 Mountain East Conference) at Joe Retton Arena in Fairmont, W.Va. The Fighting Falcons improved to 15-8 overall and 10-6 in conference play with the win.
 
Jertaya Hall led the charge in scoring with 18 points, which included four three-point baskets. Hall grabbed seven boards and chipped in a trio of assists and a steal. Katy Darnell dumped off six assists and netted 16 points to go along with five rebounds. Alyssa DeAngelo swished four attempts from long distance and finished with 14 points. Jalen Gibbs rounded out the double-digit Fairmont State scorers with 12 points and crashed the glass for eight rebounds.
 
Nine of the 13 Fairmont State three-point baskets came in the second half. The Falcons made 6-of-10 shots from long range in the third quarter and outscored the Mountain Lions 32-18 in the third frame. Neither team outscored the opposition by more than four points in the first, second and fourth quarters.
 
The Mountain Lions held a four-point lead with just over 4:30 to play in the first quarter when an Aaliyah Brunny free throw and a Hall fastbreak layup from Leslie Huffman closed the margin to one point. Gibbs capitalized on a fastbreak layup off of a turnover that gave the Falcons a one-point edge. The Mountain Lions scored four points in the final minute of the quarter and led 19-16 after one. Hall made her first three of the game with 6:04 left in the second quarter and tied the score at 23. Brunny connected from three-point range to give the Falcons their first lead of the second quarter, 26-23. DeAngelo passed an assist to Darnell for a pull-up jump shot and the Falcons led 30-25 with just over four minutes left in the half. Leslie Huffman converted a pair of free throw attempts that increased the Fairmont State lead to 32-25. In the last three minutes of the half, Concord outscored Fairmont State 15-6 and led 40-38 at the break.
 
Madeline Huffman opened the second half with a three-point jumper that was assisted by Darnell. Following a CU basket, DeAngelo hit her second three of the afternoon and Fairmont State led 44-42. Darnell found Madeline Huffman again for another three to put the Falcons ahead 49-44. Two made free throws from Gibbs increased the Fighting Falcons' lead to seven points with 7:09 remaining. Darnell racked up her fifth assist on DeAngelo's third three-pointer of the game and Fairmont State led 59-50 with 4:18 left in the third. After DeAngelo drew an offensive foul, Leslie Huffman drove the lane for a layup and gave the Falcons a double-digit lead with 1:49 left in the quarter. DeAngelo capped off her strong shooting in the third quarter with a three before the buzzer to put Fairmont State ahead, 70-58. The Falcons led by a double-digit margin the entire fourth quarter. After a Darnell three-pointer, Leslie Huffman completed a three-point play that gave the Falcons their largest lead of the afternoon, a 19-point cushion. Fairmont State earned an 87-71 victory on its home court.

The Fairmont State women's basketball team will continue its three-game homestand on Monday (Feb. 6) with a non-conference matchup versus Bluefield State. Tipoff from Joe Retton Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m.