Photos by Sue Knotts Roane County’s Lucille Westfall goes up for a shot against Wirt County’s Rylie Copeland. The Roane County senior chose Glenville State as her collegiate hoops’ destination on Monday.
By: Joseph P. Albright, Associate Sports Editor | Posted: April 25, 2018 | Source: The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
SPENCER — The Glenville State women’s basketball 2018 recruiting class added a big piece after one of West Virginia’s top high-school players elected to take her talents to the Waco Center Monday inside Roane County High School.
The Raiders’ all-time leading scorer, male or female, Lucille Westfall chose the Pioneers as her future among friends and family.
“For a while I wasn’t so sure but when I went up and played with them in Glenville I knew this was going to be the spot for me,” said Westfall on if she thought this moment ever would arrive. “It all just worked out and I can’t believe it.”
Westfall is joining a team coming off a 31-2 season, including a trip to the second round of NCAA Division II tournament and an MEC Championship.
“They have had incredible seasons the past few years,” she said. “The coaching staff seems wonderful. (Kim) Stephens obviously has it figured out and I am honored to be playing for her. They are a very family-oriented group too which was exactly what I was looking for.”
Raider Westfall signs on the dotted line for her commitment to Mountain East Athletic Conference-championship Glenville State women’s basketball program Monday at Roane County High School.
The college was in contact with the Raider before the beginning of her senior year but nothing came of the correspondence until later in the basketball season. Pioneers’ coach Cody Gilmore contacted Roane County head coach Frank Farrar about a scheduled visit for Westfall. She took a tour of the Waco Center and the campus halfway through her senior season and came away impressed.
“The Waco Center is one of the nicest facilities in the state by far,” she added.
Other schools in the mix were Fairmont State and West Virginia Tech, but neither were the same for the 5-11 guard/forward.
“Glenville pushed hard and wanted me to know they wanted me there,” said Westfall. “And that is what made them special and stand out.”
Opportunities to play could come immediately. Westfall’s game and high basketball IQ mean she is someone Stephens could turn to right away as an impact player off the bench.
No matter what she asks of Westfall, because aside from her scoring prowess the Raider collected 1,000 rebounds during her time in Spencer. She also knows how to get the ball to her teammates and is tough to face on the defensive end with her long limbs.
Stephens and company also said goodbye to eight seniors and have just eight players returning to the team.
“It will be interesting to see,” said Westfall. “As a freshman you come in and want to have something to offer and I am going to work in my offseason to try and take something to offer with me to Glenville.
“I am nervous now. Whatever they need me to do is what I am going to do.”
Off the court, Westfall plans to study Biology with the end goal being occupational safety.
“Biology was one of the subjects I grasped on to easier in high school so I am sticking with what I do best,” said Westfall, who was a first team Class AA all-stater in 2017 and was this year’s Little Kanawha Conference Player of the Year.
