WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: NOT VERY BIG, BUT STILL HUGE

WEST LIBERTY'S LATE MINI-RALLY SINKS LADY LIONS

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In basketball terms, a 14-6 run is usually nothing huge.

Unless it comes at the right time.

West Liberty used just such a run to pull away from a late 55-55 tie and defeat Concord, 69-61, Saturday afternoon in a WVIAC Women's Basketball contest at the Athletic, Sports and Recreation Center in West Liberty, WV.

The loss was doubling frustrating for the Lady Lions. Concord had succeeded in holding WLU well under their average of 82 points a game and was in a position to upset the WVIAC's 1st-place team on its home court.

CU trailed by as many as ten points in the 2nd half and was down 55-49 with 8:45 left in regulation. But Sidney Lindsey scored six unanswered points to draw the Lady Lions even with 4:34 to go.

However, the Hilltoppers' Tori Hansen – a .231 shooter from three-point range – drained a shot from beyond the arc with 3:17 left to break the tie.
Concord couldn't convert on its next possession, and West Liberty got a jumper from Meghan Wiseman to lead 60-55 with 2:45 to go.

The Lady Lions pulled within 60-58 with 1:44 to go, but WLU's Laura Malernee – who tied an NCAA Division II record by making a three-point shot in 81 consecutive games – sank a three-pointer :12 later to push the Lady 'Toppers lead to 63-58. Jenni Robbins added another three-pointer with :52 to go to fend off Concord for good.

After the 55-55 tie, West Liberty made four of its last five field goals. Concord was 1-4 over the same stretch.

Lindsey finished with 14 points, all in the 2nd half. She also posted seven rebounds and two assists with no turnovers.
Jolysa Brown paced Concord with 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.  Camisha Alexander added 15 points.

Hansen topped the 'Lady Toppers with 17 points and 16 rebounds.

West Liberty outrebounded Concord 49-37, including 16-7 on the offensive boards.

BOXSCORE/PLAY-BY-PLAY

Concord has now lost 22 straight games to West Liberty, dating back to January 15, 1993.

Up next for Concord is a visit to Wheeling Jesuit for another WVIAC matchup on Monday, January 31. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

The game was originally scheduled for Thursday, January 27, but had to be rescheduled after heavy snow prevented Concord from leaving campus until Friday afternoon.

Monday's game will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 102.3 The Ticket, starting with the “Mountain Lion Preview Show” at 3:30 pm. A link to The Ticket's audio webcast can be found on the Women's Basketball homepage at www.cumountainlions.com.

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