SALEM, West Virginia - After a tough road loss last week, the Salem women's basketball team had a chance to get back on track, and they played host to old local rival Fairmont State. Salem played well, but fell in a tight ball game with the Falcons 73-69. 

In the first period, Salem fell behind early as the Falcons quickly jumped out to an 8-0 lead. The Tigers battled back with Elena Pericic starting off the run with two key buckets. By the end of the quarter, the Falcons pushed the lead back up to 20-12.

For the next quarter, Salem roared back, and took back control of the game. The offensive push was fueled by the hot outside shooting of Emerson Wells. The Tigers overcame the deficit, and led by a score of 35-30 going into the halftime intermission. 

After the break, it became apparent that neither team was going to go away quietly. The Tigers pushed the lead to as much as 8 behind Nerea Arambarri Fernandez effectively running the Tiger offense. Fairmont State pushed back with a run of their own at the end of the quarter, and the scoreboard read 50-46 at the end of the period. 

In the final frame, the game was still neck and neck. Fairmont State kept the pressure on, and quickly brought the game level. Salem struck right back with key baskets down the stretch from Daniela Quesada and Emerson Wells. However, the Falcons earned the control of the game from the foul line, and maintained it through the Salem comeback bid in the closing seconds to win the contest 73-69. 

Despite the loss, there were still some strong points for the Tigers on the scorecard. They were lead by reigning USCAA Division I Player of the Week Elena Pericic with 16 points. Emerson Wells rode her 4-6 from three point range to 14 points in total. Rounding out the Tigers in double figures is Kirsten Cross who finished with 10 points. 

While this loss is certainly frustrating for the Tigers, Salem has some time to get ready over this week as they travel down to North Carolina for a rematch with the Elizabeth City State Vikings on Monday, January 23rd at 6 PM.