WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. - The West Liberty University women's basketball team scored the first seven points of the game and never looked back on the way to a 30-point (90-60) victory over Davis & Elkins Wednesday evening inside the ASRC.
The Hilltoppers tied a season-high with 17 three pointers and assisted on 23 of their 31 made field goals rolling to the conference victory. Karly McCutcheon led all scorers with 22 points and drained six three pointers, as five 'Toppers netted double digits.
Sonia Sarda got the starting nod for the first time this season and made her presence felt, charting 10 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Arriana Manzay tallied 17 points with seven rebounds, five of which on the offensive end. Grace Faulk and Corinne Thomas had four triples apiece totaling 14 and 12 points respectively, while Natalija Sekulovska drained three long balls and finished with 11 points off the bench.
West Liberty (11-8, 9-4) made its first three shots, a Sarda layup, McCutcheon three, and Manzay post move to storm out to a 7-0 lead holding the Senators (4-14, 4-9) off the board for the first two-plus minutes.
Thomas put the Hilltoppers up double digits for the first time near the two minute mark in the first quarter off back-to-back long balls, then her third three of the game gave the Black and Gold its first 20-point lead, at 52-31 with seven minutes to play in the third period.
West Liberty shot 50% in the first half and made seven three pointers to build up a 15-point halftime lead (40-25).
After a 7-0 run for the Hilltoppers early in the second quarter put them up 16 points (30-14), they kept their advantage at double digits the rest of the way cruising to victory over the final 29 minutes.
After Davis & Elkins scored nine of the last 10 points in the third quarter, the Hilltoppers came out and took back control scoring eight straight to start the fourth frame quickly getting back up 21. Faulk swished a trio of triples in the fourth quarter, as WLU netted seven long balls in the final 10 minutes.
All five double digit scorers for the Black and Gold pulled in six-plus rebounds with Sarda's eight being a game-high. Four Hilltoppers dished out 4-plus assists, led by Sarda's six. Thomas and Bailey Beckstedt each had five, while McCutcheon recorded four.
West Liberty will be back in action on Saturday at West Virginia Wesleyan. Tip off from Buckhannon is scheduled for 2 pm