The Mountain East Conference Tournament is just a few weeks away, every team is jockeying for position, looking to improve their place in the league standings.

West Virginia State University, Winners 3 of their 4, continued to stay in the top half of the MEC with a 80-65 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan College at home at the Walker Convocation Center Saturday evening in Institute, WV

The victory improves State to 12-10 overall and 9-7 in the MEC, and moves WVSU into a tie for fifth place with Concord University. The Bobcats are now 9-13 overall an 6-10 in MEC for 8th place. The Top 10 teams advance to Wheeling, WV for the MEC Tournament Wednesday, March 6, 2009.

"This league is so good and every night is a battle," State coach Bryan Poore said. "To be able to coast to a win at the end is even better. Everybody is battling trying not to play the first night. It is good to be up there in that upper realm. Hopefully we can get a first round bye."

The Yellow Jackets got great balance with 15 different players getting into the game and 11 scoring points. Three players were in double figures, led byPat Johnson-Agwu with 16 points, followed by Jeremiah Moore with 12 points, and Augustus "Gus" Stone with 11 points.

"We were very balanced," Poore said. "We didn't have one guy that scored a whole bunch but we had six or eight that scored between eight and 17 points. Overall, it was a good team win, and we got to play everybody, which helps morale."  State shot 51 percent from the floor (32 for 63) and connected on 41 percent from 3-point range (12 for 29). The Yellow Jackets had 21 assists on the game, the 5th time WVSU has had 20 or more assist in a game. 

The first half was tied at 22 when State point guard Frank Agyemang hit a 3-pointer with 8:32 remaining to give the Yellow Jackets a lead they would not relinquish. State continued to increase their lead and forward Moore hit a buzzer beater from just inside half court before the horn to push the Yellow Jacket lead to 47-36 at halftime.

The Yellow Jackets used the momentum into the second half, going on a 10-0 run from the 15:35 to 12:40 mark, increasing an eight-point lead all the way up to a 18-point advantage at 61-43 on by Jeremiah Moore.

Daylin Lee led Wesleyan with 16 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Dusan Vicentic was the other double figure scorer for the Bobcats with 12 points.

State next plays host to league leading West Liberty, the No. 5 team in the nation, on Valentines Day, Thursday, February 14, 2019. Game tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.