×
X logo

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox.

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)

You may opt-out anytime by clicking "unsubscribe" from the newsletter or from your account.

Toppers Fall Despite Brown’s Big Game

WEST LIBERTY — The West Liberty women played a deep and talented Concord team to a draw through one quarter Saturday at the ASRC. From there, it was an uphill climb.

Madison May poured in 29 points including a 17 of 21 showing at the foul line to lead four double-digit scorers, as the Mountain Lions (12-3 overall, 8-2 Mountain East Conference) pulled away for a 94-84 victory that enabled them to stay one game off the pace being set by league co-leaders Glenville and Charleston.

”Coach (Kenny) Osborne and Coach (Tesla) Akers have Concord playing at such a high level,” Hilltoppers (9-7, 6-4) coach Kyle Cooper said. ”It was by committee when you look at the breakdown of their scoring.

”Emily Boothe goes off for 19, but it’s a testament to how hard that kid works. I thought every single surge we threw at them, they fought back and didn’t collapse.”

The loss spoiled another extraordinary performance by WLU senior All-America center Marissa Brown, who recorded a triple-double of 41 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 11 blocked shots to decidedly win the battle of the conference’s two preeminent post players with Concord’s Riley Fitzwater, who finished with 10 points, a game-high 17 rebounds and five blocks.

”I don’t really get up for any one opponent more than another,” Brown said. “I just try to go out and play hard every game. I don’t play against too many people who are my height so I did have to make some adjustments.

”Coach (Cooper) told me to go left more often since I extend better with my left hand and it paid off.”

Brown gave WLU its final lead at 31-29 with 5:33 left in the first half. However the Hilltoppers went nearly five minutes without another basket and the Mountain Lions put the pedal to the floor by scoring 18 of the next 23 points before Morgan Brunner (17 points) cashed one of her five 3-point baskets to cut the deficit to 47-39 at the half.

”That thing at the end of the first half was just a case of giving a lot of good players too much space and giving them the opportunity to get comfortable and make plays on offense,” Cooper said. “We made several runs at them in the second half but our surges weren’t enough to dig ourselves out of the hole we put ourselves in.”

Brown scored 27 of her total in the second half as the Hilltoppers got to within 66-61 heading to the final quarter. But Concord began the fourth on an 8-0 run to make it 74-62. West Liberty, and in particular Brown, continued to score down the stretch but it couldn’t get stops on the other end.

”Their team is playing with a different sense of swagger, a different sense of balance and a different sense of confidence, and that’s the difference,” Cooper said. ”It’s hard to play uphill when you’re playing against a team that is rolling with a ton of confidence.

”They’ve got some talented players and (the coaches) are letting them play and letting them go make plays for one another.”

Andreanna Pool added 17 for the Mountain Lions. Audrey Tingle had a double-double for the Hilltoppers, finishing with 10 points and 10 of her team’s 25 assists on 34 field goals.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today