#1 Glenville State def. #4 Fairmont State, 74-70 | Box Score
By Duane Cochran for MountainEast.org
WHEELING, W.Va. – The battle between the two hottest teams in the Mountain East Conference was indeed just that – an epic battle.
In the end, top-seeded and fourth-ranked Glenville State used a tenacious final 20 minutes of play Saturday afternoon to overcome a lackluster first half and record a hard-fought 74-70 victory over fourth-seeded Fairmont State here in the Women’s MEC Basketball Tournament at WesBanco Arena.
“It wasn’t pretty, but anytime you can get an ugly win in March it’s okay,” GSU coach Kim Stephens said. “They did a phenomenal job on defense. We took some rushed shots and some bad shots, but it was because their defense made us. When we did have a rare open look at a three we rushed it because they were so few and far between. Again they did a great job on defense. That’s a good basketball team. They’re a different basketball team than the last time we played them. They haven’t lost since then and I don’t think most of those games were close.
“I was really happy with our second half. We continued to grind it out, let our defense fuel our offense and finished the game.”
The win was the Pioneers’ 13th in a row and improved Glenville State to 28-2. The defending national champions will play in the MEC Tournament title game for the fifth consecutive season Sunday at 2 p.m. against third-seeded University of Charleston (23-7).
The Pioneers, however, have not won the tourney title since 2020. GSU has won four tournament championships – more than any other school in the MEC.
Charleston, on the other hand, has won the last two tournament championships with victories over the Pioneers.
Fairmont State saw its nine-game winning streak snapped in the loss. The Falcons fell to 23-9 and have slim hopes to receive an at-large berth in the upcoming NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. FSU was ninth in the latest regional rankings. They will find out their fate Sunday evening.
“I think our team plays with a lot of heart,” Fairmont coach Stephanie Anderson said. “I was extremely proud of our girls. I thought they fought from start to finish.
“I hope our season isn’t over. We’d love to have the chance to play another game.
“Glenville is a great team. You give them a minute and that’s all they need.”
Actually the Pioneers needed the first 1:36 of the third quarter to change the game’s complexion. In the first 20 minutes FSU held Glenville to a season-low 28 points. The Pioneers shot just 20 percent (7-of-35) from the field in the first two quarters, including a miserable 1-of-10 from 3-point range. GSU started the game by missing its first 14 shots, but Fairmont was only able to build a 10-0 lead during that span.
“We hadn’t made a shot and I look up and we’re only down 10,” Stephens said. “I didn’t panic and our team didn’t panic. I knew eventually we’d turn things around because that’s how much confidence I have in these kids as players.”
Despite Glenville’s poor start Fairmont was only able to build a big lead of 12 midway through the second half and by the break was holding a seven-point, 35-28, advantage.
In the first 1:36 of the second half GSU turned the Falcons over six times and used those miscues to spark an 8-0 run and take its first lead of the game at 36-35. After that, it was close until the end.
Another huge factor in Glenville’s win was the team’s work on the offensive glass in the game. The Pioneers pulled down a whopping 30 offensive rebounds, including 16 in the second half which led to 15 second-chance points in the last two quarters.
“We knew how important this game was to us and everyone contributed on the glass for us.” said GSU’s Breanna Campbell, who finished with a game-high 31 points, 10 rebounds and five steals. “In practice that’s what coach always preaches – rebound the ball. At times this season we struggled with that, but not today. That was big for us.”
Six of Campbell’s rebounds came on the offensive end and she scored 14 of her points in the final two quarters.
When Campbell wasn’t doing damage for GSU, Mickayla Perdue was. Perdue finished with 16 points and seven rebounds. She scored 12 of her points in the second half.
“My dad always told me defense wins games, but rebounding wins championships,” Perdue said. “Rebounding definitely helped us win this game.”
Glenville eventually built it’s lead to as many as seven early in the fourth quarter, but the pesky Falcons refused to go away. Fairmont cut the deficit to one three times in the final 4:39 but could never re-take the lead.
“Rebounding has been a focus for us all year because we’re a lot smaller than most teams we play,” said FSU’s Alyssa DeAngelo, who led the Falcons with 22 points. “Glenville is tough. They run it straight at you and if they miss there’s going to be long rebounds. At times we just couldn’t get to those. A lot went over our heads. It was frustrating, but there’s not much you can do.”
Fairmont also had to battle foul trouble for much of the game and the loss of key reserve Leslie Huffman who played just 17 seconds in the first quarter before rolling her ankle.
Fairmont, which made its first semifinal appearance since 2018, got 19 points and eight rebounds from Jalen Gibbs and 13 points from Jertaya Hall.
The Falcons’ 23-win season was their first since 2012-13.
#3 Charleston def. #7 Concord, 78-54 | Box Score
By Shawn Rine for MountainEast.org
WHEELING, W.Va. – For four weeks, Charleston coach Tianni Kelly watched as time and again Concord bludgeoned opponents right at the outset of games. So the plan going into Saturday’s Mountain East Conference Tournament semifinal at WesBanco Arena, was for the Golden Eagles to throw the first punch.
Turns out it was a decisive one. The TKO variety.
Dakota Reeves fired in 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead a trio of double-figure scorers and No. 3 Charleston (24-8) held No. 7 Concord (14-17) to 37.5-percent shooting in a wire-to-wire victory. It improved Kelly’s record to 8-0 all-time at the venue, and afforded her Eagles a shot at a third straight tournament championship.
“I can’t say how thankful I am to get this win,” Kelly said. “God has been really good to us, especially with all the things we have gone through this season.
“We talked before the game about having to come out and match their intensity and exceed it. I thought we did a great job of that.”
Mountain Lions coach Tesla Southcott could only smile when she learned of what Kelly had told her team pregame.
“That’s a great strategy, but that’s because Tianni is a great coach,” Southcott said. “The last four weeks we’ve dictated the game to other teams, but (Saturday) they were the dictators.”
Markyia McCormick, who finished with 18 to back Reeves, hit an elbow jumper off the opening tap and Charleston never looked back. It was a double-digit game (19-11) after one and by the end of the third quarter the advantage had ballooned to 24.
“I was determined to get this win,” Reeves said. “Getting a chance to go the to championship game for a third year in a row in my senior year is important.”
Trinity Palacio, who took home Tournament MVP a season ago, was again solid for the Eagles, with 15 points, five assists and four rebounds.
“Whether it was a missed shot or a turnover, I thought that at times our kids let the little things affect us, and that changed the score,” said Southcott, who finished up her first year as coach. “But there’s a lot of pride, and maybe love is the word at Concord.
“At the beginning of the year everyone had new roles, including me who went from the good guy assistant coach, to the bad guy head coach.
“The growth with our team happened daily, minute-by-minute.”
Nakaila Gray paced the Mountain Lions with 14 points and five rebounds, while Abbie Smith backed her with 13 points and seven boards.
“I knew I had big shoes to fill,” Concord senior Maggie Guynn said of her final season. “Using my fifth year, I had seen the grind from others – the little things – that it takes to be successful.
“I had to do that role this year, and I am so thankful to wear this jersey.”
Charleston’s victory allows it to play for a possible third straight conference championship, all against Glenville State. The Golden Eagles have won the last two, with the Pioneers rebounding last season to go on and claim a national championship.
“We love playing Glenville,” Kelly said with a laugh. “They’re a great team with phenomenal coaching.
“It’s a blessing to get to play them on Championship Sunday.”
Not only will this be the third straight season that UC and Glenville have met for the conference crown, but it will be the fifth time since the inception of the MEC nine years ago.
“They’ve been so good for a number of years, while we’re still emerging,” Kelly said. “So maybe that is why people always think of them when talking about the MEC.
“Defense has always been our focus, and I’m super proud of the way we have defended.”
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