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West Virginia State University Athletics

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Photo: Todd Griffith
86
Winner West Liberty WLU 9-1, 5-1 MEC
84
West Virginia State WVSU 5-5, 2-3 MEC
Winner
West Liberty WLU
9-1, 5-1 MEC
86
Final
84
West Virginia State WVSU
5-5, 2-3 MEC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
West Liberty WLU 37 49 86
West Virginia State WVSU 46 38 84

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | James Garcia, Sports Information Director

Yellow Jackets come up short against No. 10 West Liberty, 86-84

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University men's basketball team (5-5, 2-3 MEC) was narrowly defeated by nationally-ranked No. 10 West Liberty (9-1, 5-1 MEC) on Monday night at the Walker Convocation Center. The Yellow Jackets held the lead for 87 percent of the game, but did not hold onto it when it mattered the most.

Sophomore forward Noah Jordan led West Virginia State in scoring with 24 points and was the game's leading rebounder with 13 boards. Both were season-highs for the sophomore standout. Fifth-year guard Glen Abram posted 20 or more points for the second straight game. He registered 22 points on the night, including three three-point field goals. Third-year forward Anthony Pittman came close to recording a double-double with 15 points and eight rebounds before fouling out late in the second half.

Each team matched the other on shots through the first five minutes and ended with 10 points apiece. The Yellow Jackets then erupted on a 16-2 run over the next six minutes of action. Noah Jordan kicked off the run with an emphatic slam dunk and Glen Abram capped it with a glorious three-point bucket. The dominant run by WVSU resulted in a 14-point advantage, 26-12, with nine minutes remaining in the first half.

West Liberty was slightly better over the next four minutes with a 15-10 run that shrunk the lead to nine, 36-27. The final five minutes of the opening half was played to a 10-all split. Dwaine Jones rolled in a layup with time expiring to make it so. West Virginia State carried a nine-point cushion, 46-37, into the halftime break.

Jordan and Abram combined for 10 points in the first four minutes of the second half. The Hilltoppers only scored five points during the stretch so WVSU was once again up by 14 points, 56-42, with 16 minutes left.

West Liberty then came to life over the ensuing six-and-a-half minutes. WLU strung together a 21-7 run over that time period to tie the heated affair at 63-even with 9:22 showing on the scoreboard. From that point forward, there was not much to separate the two fierce opponents.

West Virginia State went up by as much as four over the next six minutes and clung to the lead until West Liberty claimed it with three minutes to go, 75-74. Two free throws made by Jordan shortly thereafter changed the lead back over, 76-75. The pivotal point of the game came after Jordan knocked down his foul shots. The Hilltoppers made two shots in quick succession to go up by three, 79-76, around the two-minute mark.

A series of free throws made by each team kept the gap at three before Jones layed it in to cut the deficit to one, 81-80, with one minute remaining. The next points scored were a pair of foul shots made by West Liberty's Pat Robinson, 83-80, with about 20 seconds left to play. A missed jumper by Abram on the following possession and a defensive rebound forced the Yellow Jackets to intentionally foul Marlon Moore. He made one but missed his second free throw to allow Jeremiah Moore to dash down the court for a quick layup, 84-82. 

The Hilltoppers were back at the charity stripe soon after and sank both shots, 86-82. Jones was able to score once more in the last five seconds to give the game its final score.

The Yellow Jackets shot better from the floor, 47 compared to 45 percent, and better from behind the arc, 50 compared to 35 percent, than the Hilltoppers. West Liberty was only better from the free throw line at 86 percent shooting compared to 75 percent by WVSU.

West Virginia State will head overseas next to the Hoops in Hawaii Holiday Classic. The tournament begins on Friday, Dec. 17th and can be followed live at this link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/hpusharks/

 
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