BUCKHANNON — West Virginia Wesleyan College women’s basketball team used a decisive fourth-quarter surge and a dominant performance on the glass to pull away from Wheeling University for a 72–67 Mountain East Conference victory Saturday afternoon at the Rockefeller Center.
After a back-and-forth opening half that saw eight ties and nine lead changes on the day, Wheeling carried a narrow 37–33 advantage into the locker room. The Lady Bobcats responded coming out of halftime, trimming the deficit and setting the stage for a tightly contested third quarter that featured five ties. Wesleyan edged ahead 49–48 late in the period, but Wheeling answered at the buzzer to regain a one-point edge entering the fourth.
The Lady Bobcats took control in the final 10 minutes, outscoring Wheeling 22–18 behind efficient shooting inside and a relentless rebounding effort. Wesleyan finished the game with a commanding 44–17 advantage on the boards and scored 48 points in the paint, repeatedly creating second-chance opportunities that proved decisive.
Emma Witt led all scorers with 20 points and added a game-high 16 rebounds, recording a double-double while going 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. Kilah Dandridge followed with 18 points and six rebounds, while Avery Childers provided a key spark off the bench with 13 points, including several crucial baskets during the Lady Bobcats’ fourth-quarter run. Wesleyan also received solid contributions from Abby McDonough (six points) and Allie Daniels (six points, seven rebounds).
Wheeling was paced by Emilia Sierra Lacosta, who scored 18 points, and Layla Merriweather, who added 16. Kenzie Dalton chipped in 15 points for the Cardinals, who shot 41.0 percent from the field but were limited to just five three-pointers and struggled to match Wesleyan’s interior presence.
The Lady Bobcats shot 45.8 percent from the floor and 81.0 percent from the free-throw line, converting 17-of-21 attempts, including several late makes to seal the win. Wesleyan also held a 19–6 edge in bench points and scored 17 second-chance points.
With the victory, West Virginia Wesleyan improved to 6–2 overall and 4–1 in MEC play, continuing its strong start to conference action. Wheeling dropped to 6–6 overall and 2–3 in league competition
The Lady Bobcats host Concord University Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the Rockefeller Center. Admission is free.
