WEST LIBERTY — Powered by a dominant inside presence and a season-high performance from senior forward Emma Witt, the West Virginia Wesleyan College women’s basketball team claimed a pivotal Mountain East Conference (MEC) road win over West Liberty, 80–71, Wednesday evening at the ASRC. The Lady Bobcats improved to 5–2 on the season and 3–1 in MEC play.
Wesleyan took control early and held off multiple surges from the Hilltoppers behind balanced scoring, aggressive rebounding, and clutch fourth-quarter execution. The Lady Bobcats led 41–34 at halftime, saw their advantage slip away in the third quarter, but roared back in the final period, outscoring West Liberty 22–12 to close out the victory.
Emma Witt turned in a dominant all-around effort, pouring in 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds to notch a double-double. She added two assists, one block, and one steal while converting 8-of-11 from the free throw line.
Her fourth-quarter presence was especially impactful, including key free throws and a critical block with under three minutes to play that helped preserve Wesleyan’s momentum
Kilah Dandridge delivered an efficient 17-point outing in just 21 minutes, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor and a perfect 3-of-3 from the line. She also grabbed seven rebounds and had one block and one steal. Ana Young scored nine points and tallied three assists, helping steady the backcourt under pressure. Allie Daniels dominated the glass with 13 rebounds, including four on the offensive end, and added eight points in the post. Sydney Baird hit a big three and finished with seven points and four assists. Avery Childers came off the bench to contribute nine points, five rebounds, and two steals, including a dagger three-pointer to stretch Wesleyan’s late lead.
The Hilltoppers (4–5, 1–2 MEC) were led by Anna Lucarelli, who posted 18 points and five assists. Olivia Baker knocked down four triples en route to 13 points. Despite shooting well from deep (9-of-22), WLU struggled on the boards and couldn’t overcome Wesleyan’s interior dominance.
The Lady Bobcats are on holiday break until Saturday, Jan. 3 when the women host Wheeling University at 2 p.m. in the Rockefeller Center.
