INSTITUTE, West Virginia - With waves of winter weather disrupting travel plans all over the Mountain State, the Salem women's basketball team was able to find a gap in the storms to make their way down south for a matchup with the West Virginia State Yellow Jackets this evening. The Tigers had their bright spots in the contest, but ultimately came up short 83-61 down in Institute. 

In the first quarter, things got going slowly for the Tigers. Cassandra Smith got Salem on the board, but the Tigers could muster just 5 points in the period. Therefore, they trailed 13-5 after the first period. 

In the next frame, Salem found their footing offensively by focusing on strong play near the basket. Liliani Krause and Carmen Vasquez controlled the paint for Salem, and Salem actually outscored the Yellow Jackets in the quarter. However, West Virginia State controlled the game at 34-27 going into the halftime break. 

After the intermission, Salem went back to well offensively with a focus on the interior play. Eventually that focus opened up some key outside shooting opportunities for Taja Stephens late in the period, but again West Virginia State maintained a 61-40 advantage after three quarters. 

In the final quarter, Salem needed a huge rally in order to claw their way back into the game. Ida Bengtsson played well throughout the contest for Salem, but the rally would fall short for the Tigers. West Virginia State pulled away with the 83-61 win on their home court. 

Statistically, Salem was led by an impressive 26 point and 14 rebound double double performance. Taja Stephens finished with a double double of her own with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Lastly, Carmen Vazquez added 12 points as well to round out the Tigers in double figures. 

Despite today's loss, Salem will be back in action this weekend, weather permitting. They are set to host the Charleston Golden Eagles on Saturday, January 11th at 2 PM in T. Edward Davis Gymnasium.