INSTITUTE, W.Va. – Led by sophomore forward
Riley Fitzwater's triple-double and junior forward
Madison May's 32 points, the Concord University women's basketball team picked up an 85-71 win over West Virginia State in Mountain East Conference action at the Walker Convocation Center Saturday afternoon.
Fitzwater collected the program's first-ever triple-double by logging 10 points, 20 rebounds and 11 blocks. The blocks were a single-game program record as well. Meanwhile, May scored 20 of her career-best 32 points in the second half as she was 6-of-7 from the field and 8-of-9 at the foul line over the final 20 minutes.
After leading the Yellow Jackets (2-5, 1-3 MEC) by four at halftime, 40-36, Concord (5-2, 3-1 MEC) slowly pulled away from WVSU in the third quarter and took a 61-50 lead into the fourth
quarter after a three-pointer by senior guard
Andreanna Pool in the closing seconds.
WVSU worked the Mountain Lions' lead down to seven points with 8:19 remaining in the game, but a three-pointer from senior guard
Emily Boothe and another two from May opened up the advantage for CU to 70-58 with 6:53 left in the contest.
West Virginia State was only able to cut the deficit back to seven points one more time before four straight points from May extended the Concord lead back to double digits for the remainder of the game.
Boothe and Pool both joined May and Fitzwater in double figures. Boothe poured in a season-best 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting while Pool added 14 points and eight assists. For Boothe, 13 of her 18 came in the fourth quarter.
Freshman forward
Maggie Guynn added nine points off the bench for Concord.
Saturday was May's second career 30-point game, joining her 30-point outburst last December at West Virginia Wesleyan. The Athens, West Virginia native added a career-high 14 rebounds.
Fitzwater's 11 blocks tied the most blocks in a single game across Division II women's basketballt his season.
Concord shot 48.5 percent (32-for-66) while holding WVSU to 34.6 percent (27-for-78).
The Mountain Lions stay on the road to face Glenville State 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
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