Coach Lynn Ullom’s Hilltoppers (3-1) rolled to a double-digit halftime lead and successfully fended off a second-half rally by the Raiders (1-2) to claim a 78-71 win.
It was West Liberty’s second win in as many days at the tournament as the Hilltoppers were coming off 110-60 rout of St. Paul’s (Va.) on Friday afternoon.
A fast start helped West Liberty jump out to a 10-point lead less than five minutes after the opening tap and the Hilltoppers maintained that momentum throughout the half, taking a 41-25 lead into the locker room at intermission.
Shippensburg’s shooters began to find the range midway through the second half, mounting a 16-2 run that cut the West Liberty lead to a single point, 54-53, with 8:27 to play.
The teams traded free throws for the next few possessions before the Hilltoppers strung together five straight defensive stops.
That helped West Liberty stretch its lead from 58-57 with 6:36 remaining to 65-57 when Tori Hansen cashed in a 3-point play off a Jenni Robbins feed with 3:42 on the clock.
The margin never dropped below 6 points the rest of the way.
Hansen’s third straight double-double led the Hilltoppers with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Laura Malernee drained 6 3-point field goals for 18 points and Meghan Wiseman added 13 points and 7 rebounds before fouling out down the stretch. Jordan Stacey chipped in with 8 points and a team-high 11 rebounds as West Liberty won the battle of the boards by a 46-37 margin.
Kasey Gardner paced the Raiders with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
The Hilltoppers tip off their West Virginia Conference slate at home against Concord on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at the ASRC.
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