FAIRMONT, W.Va. — The Fairmont State University women's basketball team (1-0) erased a second-half deficit and defeated Lock Haven (0-2) 77-63 on Friday. The Falcons forced 29 turnovers, finishing with 15 steals and a 22-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Falcons closed the first quarter by holding the Bald Eagles scoreless after a 3-pointer cut the margin to 10-8 with 2:54 left.
Leslie Huffman added a free throw and a layup, and
Hadley Horne followed her steal with a fast-break layup as the Falcons finished the quarter ahead 15-8.
The Falcons briefly moved in front on
Alanna Tate's layup with 3:06 left in the second quarter, but the Bald Eagles answered with a 3-pointer and later hit another at :25 to take a 28-25 halftime lead. The Falcons shot 3-for-13 in the quarter and were outrebounded 16-3, though
Leslie Huffman's 3-pointer and two
Leila Jones free throws helped keep it within one possession late.
The Falcons recovered from a 41-30 deficit midway through the third quarter and moved in front when Tate scored at 1:08 for a 48-47 lead. In the final two minutes,
Leslie Huffman made a layup, Tate added a steal and fast-break layup before her go-ahead jumper, and Horne beat the buzzer with a layup off Huffman's assist. The Falcons finished the quarter ahead 50-47 after outscoring the Bald Eagles 25-19 in the quarter.
The Falcons closed the fourth quarter by forcing seven-straight Bald Eagles turnovers from 2:20 to :25, moving from a 70-63 lead to 77-63.
Gabby Reep had two steals during that stretch, and Tate added a steal and layup before recording another steal with 25 seconds left. The Falcons outscored the Bald Eagles 27-16 in the quarter to finish a 77-63 win.
Leslie Huffman scored 21 points, going 6-for-10 from the field and 7-for-11 at the line, and added three assists. Tate finished with 19 points, five steals and five rebounds. Horne added 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range, with two steals.
Haylen Cook collected eight rebounds, including four offensive boards, and added seven points and two steals.
Fairmont State wraps up the Atlantic Region Crossover on Saturday, November 14 against Seton Hill University. Tip-off is slated for 4:00 p.m.
