FAIRMONT, W. Va. – Sylvia Hudson and
Tyra James combined for 67 points to help Urbana women's basketball cruise by Fairmont State, 99-82, on Wednesday night in Joe Retton Arena.
Urbana improves to 8-5 overall and 4-3 in league play while Fairmont drops to 7-6 (4-3 MEC) overall.
The Blue Knights, led by their high-scoring duo, dominated the interior and scored at will in racking up a 70-36 favor in points in the paint. UU produced season highs in points, made field goals (42), field-goal percentage (56.8), rebounds (56) and assists (21). The Blue Knights logged a whopping 56-28 advantage on the glass.
It was only the second time in MEC history that two teammates each scored 30 points in a game.
Hudson produced her 29th career double-double with 36 points and 17 rebounds. The senior went 14 of 18 from the field and 8 for 10 at the line, marking her first 30-point outing and fifth of her career. She finished two points shy of the school single-game record which she scored almost a year ago to the day in a home win over West Virginia Wesleyan on Jan. 10, 2019.
Hudson surpassed 1,500 career points and 700 career rebounds with the effort – only the second player in school history to hit those marks. She moves into fourth place on the school's all-time career scoring list.
James kept rolling and only missed two shots with a career-best 15 made field goals. She finished with 31 points, 12 boards and four assists, notching her seventh double-double.
Lexie Wright and
Kasey Knippen each finished with 10 points and six rebounds. Knippen also handed out five assists.
Weston Minnich chipped in with seven points, five boards and five assists.
Urbana led the majority of the way after jumping out to a 12-5 lead and holding on for a 23-22 first quarter edge.
Fairmont moved ahead after its first basket in the second quarter, but it was the last time the Fighting Falcons would hold a lead. The Blue Knights hit seven of their first eight shots in the second, finishing the quarter at 63-percent shooting with a 45-38 halftime lead. Hudson had a double-double at the break with 17 points (9-10 FG) and 10 boards. James had 18 points at halftime.
Then, Urbana opened the third quarter with an 11-2 run and led 56-40 near the halfway point. The lead swelled to 20 when Minnich found Wright under the basket for an easy layup to make it 65-45 with 3:15 left in the quarter. Urbana outscored Fairmont 34-17 in the frame and coasted through the fourth.
Fairmont's Sierra Kotchman led the hosts with 21 points on 6-of-20 shooting while Rachel Laskody poured in 15 points with a team-high six boards. The Falcons shot just 38 percent overall.
UP NEXT: Urbana hosts MEC newcomer Frostburg State University (Md.) on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside the Grimes Center.
Frostburg enters with a 2-11 (1-6 MEC) record after letting a halftime lead slip away in Wednesday's 72-63 home loss to Notre Dame College.
