INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University men's basketball team picked up its second consecutive win against Bluefield State, 104-83, on Friday night at the Walker Convocation Center. The Yellow Jackets held the lead for 37 minutes and trailed for just 39 seconds midway through the first half.

West Virginia State's overall record improved to 8-3 following the non-conference win. Meanwhile, Bluefield State's record for the season dropped to 5-6 after the loss.

Senior guard Michal Seals led the Yellow Jackets in scoring again with a game-high 23 points. He also had four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Freshman forward Anthony Pittman was not far off with 20 points. He also recorded four blocks, four steals, and five rebounds in a dominant performance. Junior forward Jeremiah came the closest to registering a double-double by grabbing nine boards alongside 13 points scored.

West Virginia State jumped out to an 11-point lead, 18-7, in the opening six minutes of the contest. Bluefield State then battled back with a 13-2 run that left the game tied at 20 apiece with ten minutes left in the first half.

The remainder of the half was played evenly with WVSU able to stay slightly in front for the duration. Six unanswered points by the Yellow Jackets to close out the opening period put them ahead by nine points, 46-37, going into the break. John Dawson drew a foul with less than a second left on the clock and made both of his foul shots to make it so.

The Yellow Jackets raised their intensity up a notch in the second half. With 3:27 remaining in the game, they seized a 27-point advantage, 99-72. The sizable lead came on the heels of a 30-12 run put together by West Virginia State.

Starting at the nine-minute mark, the Yellow Jackets forced five turnovers, shot 11-of-17 from the field, made three treys, and knocked down five foul shots to give them their biggest lead of the game. After that stretch, there was no coming back for the visitors.

The Yellow Jackets forced 30 turnovers as a unit and came up with 40 points off those turnovers to separate themselves from their opponents. WVSU also put up over 100 points to maintain the team's scoring average which was fourth-best in all of NCAA Division II at the beginning of the contest.

West Virginia State will return to Institute after the holiday break for a Mountain East Conference matchup versus Davis & Elkins on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

WE WISH YOU A BLESSED HOLIDAY SEASON WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!