Millersville University
2-0
West Liberty
1-2
Cooper Leads Marauders with Second Consecutive Double-Double
11/15/2013 6:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Clarion, Pa. – The Millersville women's basketball team opened its play in the Clarion Classic with a 92-83 victory over West Liberty. Yasmin Cooper continued her stellar start to the season with a second double-double in as many games.
Cooper was the catalyst with 29 points and 18 rebounds to go with two blocks, two steals, and one assist in 30 minutes of action. Cooper and Aurielle Mosley are the only Marauders to score at least 29 points in a game since Mashira Newman put up 30 points against Shippensburg on Feb. 23, 2011. Mosley did so last season with a career-high 29 against Missouri S&T on Dec. 31, 2012. Mosley brought down 19 rebounds at Gannon on Jan. 3, 2011. Cooper joined her as the only players to secure 18 boards in a game since then. Mosley secured 18 rebounds in a contest three times following that Gannon game. She was also the first Marauder to make 12 field goals in a game since Mosley did so on Feb. 12, 2011.
Senada Mehmedovic and Carly Gallagher both posted 15 points apiece and Celeste Robinson added 10 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal. The Marauders (2-0) had seven fewer turnovers and outrebounded the Hilltoppers (1-2) 50-40 including 23-13 on the offensive glass to improve to 2-0. Millersville scored at least 90 points in back-to-back games for the first time since November of 1993.
Cooper scored the first 10 points of the game for Millersville but the Marauders trailed West Liberty 12-10 just over six minutes into the game. The first half saw three ties before the Millersville took the lead back, 32-31. The Marauders' advantage was as big as three but they only led by one, 37-36 heading into the locker room.
The second half opened with four lead changes and with the Marauders ahead 43-42, Gallagher scored six points in an 8-2 run. The Marauders went on to lead by as many as 13, but a 17-5 run by the Hilltoppers pulled them within one, 75-74 with a little over four minutes to play.
Gallagher halted West Liberty's run with a free throw. Cooper put back a miss for two and Senada drilled a three on consecutive possessions. Shelby Reimer hit two more free throws before West Liberty scored again. Just like it did in the season opener when it pulled away from California (Pa.) with a 26-12 run late, Millersville finished off West Liberty with a 17-9 run.
Millersville shot 47.8 percent from the floor and placed four players in double-figures. Cooper has averaged better than 21 points per game through the first two games after scoring in double figures just once as a freshman.
The Marauders shot an even 50 percent (17-of-34) from the floor in the second half. Millersville shot 6-of-18 from behind the arc on the night and outscored West Liberty 23-9 in second-chance points.
Millersville continues its play in the Clarion Classic against Charleston on Saturday with tipoff set for 4 p.m.
