INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- The West Virginia State University men's basketball team opened its 2021 campaign victoriously, taking down Livingstone 93-82 on the first night of Earl Lloyd Classic sponsored by the Embassy Suites at the Walker Convocation Center on Friday night. 

Graduate student Glen Abram racked up 35 points in the contest, including four three-pointers, and added five steals and six assists while going 13-14 at the free throw line. Graduate transfer Ernest Johnson also delivered a strong debut, registering 19 points, and graduate student Jeremiah Moore also reached double digits with 11 points. Moore also tallied seven rebounds and four steals and a block on the stat sheet. 

Sophomore Anthony Pittman turned in a game-high 11 rebounds, adding nine points as he fell just one point shy of a double-double. Pittman also shined defensively, recording six steals and three blocks. 

Both teams started sluggish, as the score was held to single digits until under the 16-minute mark, when sophomore Noah Jordan made a layup to tie the contest at 11 to spur a 7-0 run over the next minute and a half to put WVSU ahead 16-11.

The two squads hit a stalemate, and were tied at 18-18 for over a minute of play before a pair of layups put the Blue Bears back on top at 22-18. Livingstone remained ahead for over eight minutes until an offensive upsurge around three minutes gave State some momentum. 

The final three minutes turned into State's time to shine. A steal from Jenkins shifted the momentum for the Yellow Jackets, as he went 2-for-2 at the line after being fouled and put State within three at 35-32. A steal from Jeremiah Moore kept possession with the Yellow Jackets, and another pair of free throws—this time from Abram, evened the score at 35.

Livingstone regained control, if only briefly as Moore pulled down an offensive board, dished it back to Jordan for the easy layup and a 37-37 mark.

The excitement peaked with just a minute-thirty to play, as Jenkins sent a behind-the-back pass down to Lewis, who dunked for a 40-39 lead.

With 20 seconds on the clock, another steal for State- this one coming courtesy of Abram- sent the ball into the hands of Jenkins, who put the easy two in to send the Yellow Jackets into the half with the lead, 43-42.

The second half started in a near repeat of the first, as the two teams traded points and leads early.

An Abram three tied the contest at 56 all which started a 17-8 run for State over the next four minutes and a 24-8 run over the next six. The graduate student registered 14 points in the sequence, putting the Yellow Jackets with a commanding 77-64 lead. In addition to Abram, the run featured five other scorers.

State continued to build cushion, featuring a late surge from Jenkins who scored six points in the final four and a half minutes of action, including four free throws, and helped the Yellow Jackets to build a 10-point lead at 89-79.  Abram then took his turn at the charity stripe, sinking all four of his free throws in the final two minutes of play to secure the victory.

The Yellow Jackets will play Shaw tomorrow at 4 p.m. on the second day of the Earl Lloyd Classic.