WEST LIBERTY, W.V. –
TaKayla Ellis scored a career-high 34 points in the Cheyney University women's basketball 81-69 victory over West Liberty University Tuesday night Inside the West Liberty ASRC.
Ellis scored 20 points in the first half as the Wolves (2-9) held a 19-13 edge after the first quarter and carried a 37-31 lead after the first twenty minutes.
The Hilltoppers (4-7) tied the game at 60-60 with 7:21 to play, on a basket from Marissa Brown, who led West Liberty with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Ellis then connected from beyond the arc to give Cheyney the lead for good at the 6:38 mark 63-60.
The Wolves were clinging to a 68-66 lead with 3:38 to play. After a time-out Ellis hit a jumper and
Khadijah Pearson grabbed a defensive rebound and them made a three-point shot to put Cheyney ahead 73-66. Pearson once again pulled in a HIlltopper miss and
Yasmine Dorrielan gave Cheyney its largest lead of the game with a jumper to make it a nine-point advantage with 1:25 showing on the fourth quarter clock.
Dorrielan matched Brown with a game-high 13 rebounds and scored eight points,
Marlon Herring who scored seven of her 13 points in the fourth quarter added six rebounds,
Ja'la Walker who made the first start of her career, scored, a first-year season-high, eight points and grabbed six rebounds, while Pearson added seven points and four rebounds.
Ellis added seven rebounds and a team-high three assists to a career-high scoring night with 34 points on 14-of-23 from the field, 4-of-7 from beyond the arc and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Cheyney held a 48-40 advantage off the glass and committed a season-low 10 turnovers in scoring a season-high 81 points in the victory.
The Wolves who, are off for the holidays break, return to action on Saturday, Dec. 30 at Millersville University in the PSAC East opener vs. the Marauders with the tipoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
