BUCKHANNON — West Virginia Wesleyan’s women’s basketball team used a dominant second quarter and a balanced scoring attack to pull away from Salem (W.Va.), earning an 83-59 victory Wednesday evening at the Rockefeller Center. The Lady Bobcats improved to 11-4 overall with the win.
Salem opened the scoring and stayed within striking distance early, but the Lady Bobcats’ pace and execution quickly settled in. Wesleyan led 21-16 after the first quarter, then delivered in the second, forcing Salem into a cold spell from the field.
Wesleyan continued to control the game after the break, matching Salem’s energy in the third quarter and extending the margin to 67-40 entering the fourth.
Sophomore guard Ana Young paced the Lady Bobcats with a game-high 22 points, knocking down 4-of-6 from three-point range while adding three steals in an active two-way performance. Emma Witt continued to add to her MEC lead as the top shooter in the conference with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while also contributing five rebounds and three assists.
Wesleyan’s frontcourt controlled the glass and created second-chance opportunities throughout the night. Allie Daniels finished with eight points and a team-best 13 rebounds, adding a pair of assists and a block in just 16 minutes. Kilah Dandridge posted 15 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, while also handing out four assists. Wesleyan also received a strong all-around outing from Sydney Baird, who scored 10 points and dished out a team-high five assists.
Wesleyan shot 53.2% (33-of-62) from the floor and 46.7% (7-of-15) from three, while holding Salem to 35.9% shooting overall. The Bobcats also won the rebounding battle 41-26 and recorded 20 assists on 33 made baskets.
Salem was led by Selena Frost, who scored 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting and hit three triples. Meilin Guo added 11 points, while Kamarice Jackson scored 11 off the bench.
The Lady Bobcats travel to Point Park University (Pa.) Friday, Jan. 30 for a 5:30 tip with the Pioneers.
