Box Score

 
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The University of Charleston women's basketball team battled it out against Ohio Valley on Saturday to take an 81-71 victory for the teams first WVIAC win of the young season.
 
In the opening minutes Charleston (4-2) was prepared, as the ladies continue to run first-year coach Adam Collins’ pressure attack. Ohio Valley (0-6) had something to prove however and kept with the intensity for a close first half as no one team pulled away in the contest.

Although outshot by Charleston in three-point attempts 4-19 (21 percent), OVU was superior in accuracy as they kept answering offensive plays with their own deep-balls hitting 5-of-9 three-pointers for 55 percent accuracy. The focus never faltered on either side as in the first half the Flying Scots shot 41.7 percent from the floor, while UC countered with their own 40.6 percent shooting in the half to maintain the marginal lead at 41-38 as the teams congregated for halftime.
 
Ready for more, both teams came back prepped to play as the battle continued. Ohio Valley’s Kayla Parsley and Jasmine Gibson continued to be stumbling blocks for the Golden Eagles as they countered the UC attack with strong play inside the paint against a much smaller Golden Eagle lineup. Parsley, who finished the game as a formidable opponent in the paint, totaled 13 rebounds and 13 points, whereas teammate Gibson was the leader on the scoreboard with 19 points by the buzzer. Demonstrating their well-rounded effort on the court, three other Flying Scots found their way into the double-digit scoring bracket as Shelby Way,  Amy Brooks, and Danielle Dunnagan all totaled 11 each in the competition.
 
Not to be outdone in their own house, several UC ladies made their own place on the board in the stiff competition that followed in the second half of play. In a repeat effort from the matchup with Cedarville on Wednesday, LeAnne Ross (Marietta, OH) sank 5-of-12 shots from behind the arc, raking up a 17 point total. Jessi Cowden (Tomball, TX), Nichole Perry (Poseyville, IN), and Kayla Dozier (Alpharetta, GA) also made an impact for the Golden Eagles as Cowden had 9 points and 11 rebounds with Perry and Dozier each accounting for 12 points.
 
Although the first half was close, as UC kept the pressure on whether or not possession was theirs, they capitalized on several key opportunities as they gained momentum and began to pull away late in the second half.

At the final buzzer the  score stood at 81-71, the Golden Eagles’ victory was proof that Coach Collins’ aggressive play appears to be paying off as they continue their season with another win this week. This was a good practice for Charleston since they will be challenging Glenville State on Monday, Dec. 10 at 6:30pm, a perennial powerhouse in the WVIAC running a similar high-octane offensive attack as the Golden Eagles. GSU currently stands as the top scoring team in NCAA Division II.