BUCKHANNON – The West Virginia Wesleyan Lady Bobcats used a dominant second-quarter performance and a tremendous effort from sophomore guard Sydney Baird to power past Davis & Elkins College 62-45 Saturday afternoon at the Rockefeller Center.
Despite a sluggish opening frame in which the Lady Bobcats (19-8, 13-7 MEC) trailed by eight, the team rebounded, outscoring the Senators 55-30 over the final three quarters. Baird led the charge with a game-high 28 points, knocking down three triples and going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line.
Davis & Elkins surprised the home crowd by jumping out to a 15-7 first-quarter lead. LaChazity Shaver hit a deep three and finished with 11 points to set the tone, while forward Jackie Wright pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds.
It unraveled quickly for the Senators in the second quarter. Wesleyan’s defense stiffened, holding Davis & Elkins to just two field goals in the period. Meanwhile, Baird caught fire, drilling a trio of shots from beyond the arc as the Lady Bobcats surged ahead with a 19-7 quarter, flipping the script and taking a 26-22 halftime lead.
Wesleyan’s ability to get to the free-throw line proved pivotal. The Lady Bobcats converted 21-of-23 (91.3%) from the stripe, while Davis & Elkins struggled at 11-of-17 (64.7%). The home team’s aggressiveness in the paint led to a 45-36 rebounding advantage, with Emma Witt stepping up with 16 points and 9 rebounds.
The Lady Bobcats now await seeding in the upcoming Mountain East Conference Tournament which begins Wednesday, March 5 at Wesbanco Arena in Wheeling.
