WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The Concord University women's basketball team came out victorious in a Mountain East Conference matchup against West Liberty, 88-81, Wednesday evening at the ASRC.
The Mountain Lions (8-4, 4-3 MEC) led for over 37 minutes, but had to hold off a fourth-quarter rally from West Liberty (9-4, 4-3 MEC).
Up 63-52 after three quarters, the fourth quarter started with layups from sophomore guard
Maddie Ratcliff and senior guard
Gracie Robinson on back-to-back possessions. After fifth-year senior forward
Riley Fitzwater converted a three-point play, CU led 77-62 with 4:12 left in the game, their largest lead of the night.
The Mountain Lions were still up 12 points, 81-69, with 2:17 left after a jump from sophomore guard
Jaisah Smith. However, Concord watched WLU cut the lead to six points with back-to-back three-pointers, and got within four points twice in the final 1:15 of the game. But, junior guard
Ashton Funderburg twice stepped up to the foul line and hit two free throws each time to help Concord close out and hold off West Liberty.
Junior guard
Jazz Blankenship started the game draining two three-pointers within the first four minutes of the game. Redshirt junior forward
Alexis Phillips had two layups to help push CU out to a 16-14 over the Hilltoppers at the end of the first quarter.
West Liberty took its first lead of the game at 22-20 at the 7:54 mark of the second quarter, and again led at 26-25. But a layup from Fitzwater and a jumper from Blankenship gave CU a 29-26 advantage, and CU never trailed again.
Concord took a 36-33 lead into halftime.
Out of the locker room, Concord outscored West Liberty 16-7 over the first six minutes of the third quarter as the run ended with a three-pointer from Ratcliff at the 4:07 mark, giving CU a 52-40 edge.
Fitzwater led CU in scoring with a season-high 31 points. She also grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked six shots. Blankenship knocked down two three-pointers and finished with 12 points. Phillips also finished with 12 points. Senior guard
Maggie Guynn scored all 10 of her points after halftime.
Concord as a unit shot 54.2 percent from the field, while holding WLU to 37.3 percent shooting. CU had 42 of its points come from inside of the paint. The Mountain Lions outrebounded the Hilltoppers 48-27.
CU returns to the Carter Center at 2:00 pm Saturday to take on Wheeling for their first home game of the new year.Â
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