ATHENS, W.Va. - The Gannon women’s basketball team put five players in double digits and shot over 50 percent for the second consecutive game Sunday afternoon en route to a 71-65 victory over Fairmont State during the final day of Concord University’s Lady Lion Classic.
Gannon picked up two regional victories during the classic, including Sunday’s decision over Fairmont State. The Fighting Falcons, an NCAA Tournament participant last season and among others receiving votes in the USA Today ESPN Preseason Poll, was picked No. 1 in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) Preseason Coaches Poll.
Allison Rothlisberger’s (New Martinsville, W.Va./Magnolia) 10 first-half points led Gannon to a 28-19 halftime lead.
Brittany Tabron (Canton, Ohio/Canton Central Catholic) added nine points in the first 20 minutes.
Both teams shot at least 57 percent in a high-scoring second half. Fairmont State posted a slight 46-43 scoring edge in the final 20 minutes, but it wasn’t enough as Gannon posted a 71-65 victory.
Tabron led Gannon’s offensive unit with 17 points. Rothlisberger finished with 15 markers.
Kim Vargas (Sterling, Va./Broad Run),
Carrie Nolan (Girard, Pa./Girard), and
Julie Kleber (Suffern. N.Y./Suffern) added 10 points each.
Gannon shot 53.7 percent (22-41) from the field, 57.1 percent (8-14) from three-point range, and 90.5 percent (19-21) from the free throw line.
Fairmont State’s Ashley Vavrek led all scorers with 20 points. Cara Waybright was the only other Fighting Falcon in double digits with 17 points. The Fighting Falcons shot 44.9 percent (22-49) from the floor, 38.9 percent (7-18) from behind the arc, and 82.4 percent (14-17) from the charity stripe.
Gannon improved to 2-0 with Sunday’s victory. Fairmont State dropped to 0-2. The Lady Knights return to action Saturday, November 22 against West Virginia Wesleyan at the Hammermill Center. The home opener is scheduled for 6 p.m.
For a complete box score from Sunday’s Gannon-Fairmont State women’s basketball game, please
click here.