The West Liberty women’s basketball team will advance to Charleston after winning the first round of the WVIAC tournament against Seton Hill 71-62 on Feb. 27.
The Hilltoppers (15-14, 12-11) hit the road for the first round of the conference tournament for the first time in coach Lynn Ullom’s tenure but improved his first round record to an impressive 15-1.
WLU may have played its best basketball of the season in the first half of the contest as they dominated in the paint, posting a 26-4 advantage to take a 44-34 halftime lead.
The Griffins (11-18) were able to make one last run after WLU took a 57-43 lead with 12:46 to play. A 6-0 Griffin run cut the lead to 57-49 with 9:56 left, but from that point on West Liberty just milked the clock.
Junior Emily Blevins finished the game with a double-double as she scored 24 points and grabbed 13 boards.
Senior Kayla Ayers also scored 24 points and now joins Hilltopper Hall of Famer Melissa Hammond as the only West Liberty women’s basketball players to score 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 3-point shots during their careers. Ayers was named to the first-team All-WVIAC after leading the nation in 3-pointers with 96.
Sophomore Hillary Southworth was the third Hilltopper to score in double-digits with 15 points. Southworth received second-team All-WVIAC honors after the lead-wide vote.
The Hilltoppers will advance to play West Virginia Wesleyan in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. Tip off for the game is set for 6:30 on Feb. 29.
The two teams split their regular season meetings with West Liberty winning at home 69-62 before dropping an 85-73 decision in Buckhannon.
In that game Ayers lit up the Bobcats for 44 points and hit 13 treys.
For the Hilltoppers to advance to the semifinals, they will have to find an answer for Wesleyan’s All-WVIAC tandem of Lydia Bridenbaugh and Jamie Kaufman.
In the first matchup Bridenbaugh was Wesleyan’s only double-figure scorer with 17 points while Kaufman was held to 9. However, in the second round Bridenbaugh hit for 27 points with Kaufman adding 22.
You can watch WLU-TV 14’s coverage of the WVIAC tournament live online at go.westliberty.edu/wltv/.
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