BUCKHANNON — The West Virginia Wesleyan College Lady Bobcats hosted its final home game of the season and lost to conference-leading Fairmont State University 72-56, Wednesday in Buckhannon.
Wesleyan drew even with the Falcons in the first quarter 17-17, and were down by only three at the half in a contest that swung both ways through 20 minutes of play. But a Lady Bobcat 53 percent field goal average in the first and a 47 percent average in the second gave way to a dismal 33 percent in the third and Fairmont State pulled away, leading by nine, 50-41, going into the final frame. Fouls and turnovers (Wesleyan had 19 total to Fairmont’s four) dampened any surge that the Lady Bobcats found in the final 10 minutes and Fairmont shot its game-best 57 percent from the floor to secure the 16-point victory.
It was senior night at the Rockefeller Center and Courtney Wilfong, Laila Calhoun, and Electra Allembert were recognized. Wilfong went into the game just 12 points shy of a career total 1,000 points. She had 11 going into the final minutes then got fouled and went to the free throw line to tie or break the mark with 43 seconds left. She missed two attempts but got another chance on a layup with 4.3 seconds remaining which she banked in the net to end the game.
Wesleyan’s top scorers for the evening were Sydney Baird who went 7-of-14 from the field for 16 points and four rebounds, and team-leader Emma Witt who went 6-of-11 for 15 points and five rebounds.
Fairmont’s Katy Darnell led all scorers with 23, and Alyssa DeAngelo and Jalen Gibbs scored 18 points and 17 points, respectively.
The Lady Bobcats (8-16, 5-14 MEC) will be in the Mountain East Conference Tournament which begins March 6 at the WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, but the loss to Fairmont left its seeding undetermined. Wesleyan will be either No. 9 or No. 10 depending on the outcome of its final regular season game at Davis and Elkins College, Saturday, March 2 at 2 p.m.
