SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — West Virginia Tech used a dominant second-quarter surge to pull away early and never looked back as the Golden Bears defeated Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, 73–42, in River States Conference action Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Arena.

After the Pomeroys kept things close through the opening period, trailing just 18–14, WVU Tech seized control with an 18–6 run in the second quarter. The Golden Bears held SMWC to just one field goal in the frame, building a 36–20 halftime lead that set the tone for the remainder of the game.

Emily Wratchford led all scorers with 15 points off the bench for WVU Tech, while Alaira Evans added 13 points and Alexis Sexton chipped in eight. The Golden Bears shot 47.1 percent from the field and outscored SMWC 44–24 in the paint.

For Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Abigail Parker and Talyssa Moody each scored 10 points. Haley Polston added seven points and six rebounds, while Samara Douglas finished with four points, four rebounds, and four steals. The Pomeroys forced 20 turnovers but were unable to convert enough of those opportunities into points, finishing the game shooting 32.6 percent from the floor.

WVU Tech continued to extend its lead in the second half, outscoring SMWC 19–11 in the third quarter and 18–11 in the fourth to seal the 31-point victory.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (0-15, 0-4 RSC) will look to bounce back when it returns home on Tuesday, January 13, hosting Oakland City at 6 p.m. (ET) inside the Knoerle Center. Live stats and video coverage will be available at SMWCAthletics.com.