INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University men's basketball team was defeated by Concord, 96-81, on Wednesday night at the Walker Convocation Center.

Sophomore forward Anthony Pittman led WVSU (6-5) with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Senior guard Glen Abram scored 23 points and had seven rebounds. Fifth-year guard Gus Stone chipped in 12 points.

Ethan Heller paced Concord (7-5) with a game-high 33 points. He also dished out eight assists on the night. Malik Johnson had 26 points and eight rebounds, and David Mulumba had 14 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out.

Neither team was able to swing the momentum in the first half. The game was tied at 36-all with 30 seconds to go in the opening period. Heller knocked down a three-pointer to give Concord the lead at the break, 39-36.

The Mountain Lions maintained their advantage in the second half, but the Yellow Jackets kept fighting back to keep the game from slipping away. West Virginia State went on a 14-5 run over a four-and-a-half-minute stretch to get back within one point, 68-67, around the eight-minute mark.

Concord responded with a 13-4 run that increased CU's lead to double-digits, 81-71, with five minutes remaining. WVSU was unable to find an answer at the tail end of the contest.

The Yellow Jackets will remain at home for their next game versus West Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday, Feb. 20th. The tip is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.