ELKINS, W.Va. – Davis & Elkins earned a hard fought 77-71 win over Ursuline on Thursday.

Sharmaine Baker piloted the Senators' attack with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Carley O'Neal made the most of her second career start, scoring 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting from three and handing out five assists. Tajee Pledger notched a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Erica Huber (17), Makayla Rosselot (14) and Madison Schroeder (13) each reached double figures for UC.

D&E held a slim 40-37 advantage on the glass. Ursuline turned 17 Davis & Elkins turnovers into 18 points. The Senators made 17-of-24 attempts at the charity stripe, and Ursuline converted 11-of-12 opportunities.

Back-to-back threes from Sydney Turner and Ashley Bowles sparked a 10-0 run by the Senators, creating a 14-7 lead for D&E. The Arrows reeled in D&E with an 8-0 sprint, pulling within one at 30-29. Consecutive threes from Carley O'Neal, followed by another from Pledger, gave D&E its largest lead of the night at 40-29. Ursuline nailed four threes, closing the half on a 15-5 jolt to make the score 45-44 at the break.

Davis & Elkins shot 58 percent (15-of-26) in the first 20 minutes, including sinking 8-of-12 attempts from three. UC kept the game close by connecting on 9-of-19 (47 percent) shots from beyond the arc, and forcing 12 D&E turnovers.

Neither team gained more than a four point lead in the second half, until a Caitlyn O'Neal three ignited a 7-0 jolt and created a 69-63 cushion. Rosselot drained back-to-back threes to knot the game at 69-69. After the teams traded turnovers, Baker converted a pair of free throws to give the Senators the lead for good. Stephanie Wooten made it a two-possession game with a pair of free throws on the next D&E possession, making the score 73-69. Following an Arrow basket, Carley O'Neal drove the lane and iced the victory with a layup to secure the 77-71 victory.    

D&E travels to Kentucky Wesleyan on Thursday, January 22 at 6:30 p.m.