BECKLEY, W.V. -- The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) Women's Basketball returned to their winning ways Thursday night, overpowering West Virginia Tech 80-53 in a decisive victory at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center.

The Pomeroys improved to 10-8 overall and 3-4 in conference play, while WVU Tech fell to 1-16 and remains winless in the conference at 0-6. SMWC will return to action on Saturday, January 25 when they travel to Alice Lloyd (Ky.) for a 3 pm (ET) road matchup in River States Conference play.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods controlled the game from start to finish, leading by as many as 32 points in the fourth quarter. The Pomeroys shot an efficient 50.0% from the field (32-of-64), with a standout third quarter performance where they hit 63.2% of their shots (12-of-19). Despite a strong effort from WVU Tech in the second half, the Golden Bears struggled offensively, shooting just 39.6% for the game (19-of-48).

Brooklynn Jones led three different double digit scorers for the Pomeroys with 18 points as she hit a pair of 3-pointers and was 8-of-13 shooting from the field. She added four rebounds and a pair of assists in the winning effort. Samara Douglas added 12 points on the strength of a 5-of-8 shooting performance with five rebounds while Aubrey Burgess tallied 10 points and four rebounds with four assists. Irye Gomez dished out five assists in the victory.

The Pomeroys came out of the gate firing, shooting 44.4% from the field in the opening period (8-of-18). Leading the way was Jones, who scored six of her game-high 18 points in the first quarter. SMWC also connected on two three-pointers during the quarter, with Jones hitting one from beyond the arc.

WVU Tech struggled to find their rhythm early, making just 2-of-14 field goals (14.3%) in the first 10 minutes. The Golden Bears were held to only 1-of-3 shooting from three-point range and committed 6 turnovers, which the Pomeroys capitalized on to stretch their lead.

SMWC led by as many as 11 points in the opening frame, and the team's efficient offense and stingy defense gave them a comfortable advantage as they headed into the second quarter. Jones continued to lead the way for the Pomeroys, adding four more points in the second frame to push her total to 10 at the break. As the two teams headed to the locker room, SMWC maintained their 10-point advantage, setting the stage for a competitive second half.

The Pomeroys opened the third quarter with a strong start, as Madison Fueger's layup at the 9:50 mark put them up 35-23. Samara Douglas was a key contributor, scoring several baskets in the paint, including a jumper at 9:05 that extended SMWC's lead to 37-26. Douglas then followed up with another layup and a free throw, giving the Pomeroys a 40-26 lead by the 8:07 mark.

WVU Tech showed some resilience, as Avery Lucas hit a three-pointer and Liz Cadel added a jumper to cut the deficit to 42-31 at the 7:31 mark. However, SMWC responded with back-to-back three-pointers from Irye Gomez (45-33) and a fast break layup by Madison Fueger (47-33) to stretch the lead to 14 points.

The Pomeroys' defense helped to fuel their offense, as they forced several turnovers, including a steal by Fueger that led to a layup by Abby Worley for a 52-33 lead with 4:28 remaining. A few moments later, a three-pointer from Abigail Parker pushed SMWC's lead to 61-35.

SMWC closed out the quarter strong, with Burgess finishing the quarter with a fastbreak layup, securing a 24-point lead at 63-39.

The Pomeroys opened the final frame with an early three-pointer from Abby Worley, increasing their lead to 66-39. Despite some resistance from the Golden Bears, SMWC continued to press its advantage, as Aubrey Burgess scored back-to-back layups, the second of which extended the lead to 75-44 with 4:18 remaining.

WVU Tech managed to chip away at the margin with some late scoring, including a layup from Kennedy Hancock at 2:18 and a three-pointer by Emily Wratchford at 1:21, bringing the score to 77-52. However, SMWC's depth and defensive pressure kept the Golden Bears at bay.

The Pomeroys sealed their victory with a three-pointer from Aubrey Ervin in the final seconds, pushing their lead to 80-53. SMWC's balanced attack, led by Burgess and Ervin, who both contributed offensively in the fourth, proved too much for the Golden Bears, who struggled with turnovers and missed shots down the stretch.