Bluefield, WV – Bluefield State University women's basketball secured the 22-point victory over West Liberty University on Monday at Ned E. Shott Gymnasium.
Gabrielle Thomas led all scorers with 18 points followed by Dani Janutolo with 15, Azariah Binford with 14, Aerihna Afoa with 13 and Coraly Dupree with 11. The Big Blue controlled the boards, outrebounding the Hilltoppers 35-29, with Janutolo leading the pack with nine.
The Hilltoppers struck first with a three to take the early advantage, but Big Blue Thomas quickly answered with two. Midway through the first, Afoa completed the four-point play to give the Big Blue their first lead of the night. The score would be tied two more times before the Big Blue closed out the quarter with five consecutive points to go into the second with the 20-15 advantage over the Hilltoppers.
The Hilltoppers took back the lead at the six-minute mark, but the Big Blue evened the score with 90 seconds left in the half after a midrange jumper from Eriel West. The Big Blue went ahead by two after a bucket from Janutolo but the Hilltoppers answered with a bucket of their own to tie it at 32 going into halftime.
The Big Blue pulled away from the Hilltoppers after opening the third quarter with 20 unanswered points. This included three consecutive threes from Katrina Davis, Thomas and Janutolo. The Big Blue ended the third with a five-point run to take the 64-44 lead into the final quarter.
After outscoring the Hilltoppers 32-12 in the third, a layup by Janutolo sparked an eight-point run to build their largest lead of the night at 26. The Hilltoppers would score the final four points of the night but the Big Blue offense could not be stopped, coming away with the 82-60 victory.
Up Next
The Big Blue will travel to Kentucky State University Thursday, January 19th with tipoff at 6 p.m.
