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West Virginia State University Athletics

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MBB2223 Kinsler
Photo: Todd Griffith
106
Winner West Virginia St. WVSt 13-1,7-1 MEC
76
West Va. Wesleyan WVW 1-12,1-7 MEC
Winner
West Virginia St. WVSt
13-1,7-1 MEC
106
Final
76
West Va. Wesleyan WVW
1-12,1-7 MEC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
West Virginia St. WVSt 41 65 106
West Va. Wesleyan WVW 40 36 76

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

No. 15 West Virginia State blows past Wesleyan in second half

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The No. 15 West Virginia State men's basketball team (13-1, 7-1 MEC) dusted off West Virginia Wesleyan (1-11, 1-7 MEC) by a final score of 106-76 on Saturday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets scored 65 points in the second half alone to demolish the Bobcats.

Sophomore guard Samier Kinsler posted a season-high 26 points to lead his team in scoring. He is averaging a team-high 16.8 points per game this season. Junior forward Noah Jordan and graduate guard Taevon Horton also aided in the scoring effort with 19 and 14 points respectively. Meanwhile, redshirt junior Anthony Pittman picked up his second double-double of the season with a game-high 13 rebounds and 11 points.

The Yellow Jackets needed the first half to shake the sand loose from their recent trip to the US Virgin Islands in which they were crowned champions of the second annual YES USVI Classic. They dominated Wesleyan in the opening four minutes of the contest before allowing the Bobcats to mount a comeback. State went up 13-2 with 15:43 remaining in the first half as WVWC was held to 1-of-8 shooting from the floor. Both Samier Kinsler and Taevon Horton knocked down threes during the run to give WVSU an early advantage.

The Bobcats then clawed back to within one point, 16-15, over the following five minutes with a 13-3 run. A back-and-forth battle then ensued between the two MEC foes until Wesleyan gained the upper hand by scoring nine unanswered between the six- and four-minute marks of the opening period. At the end of the stretch, State trailed by three points, 31-28.

After the Yellow Jackets managed to tie the score with a minute to go, Wesleyan's Darius Green completed a three-point play with 32 seconds showing to put his team up. Noah Jordan then ran the court for a quick dunk before Horton stole the inbound pass and dunked himself to give WVSU a slight edge, 41-40, going into halftime.

The second half was a completely different story with no signs of jet lag remaining for the nationally-ranked Yellow Jackets. State used a 27-4 run that lasted six minutes to blow the Bobcats away. The run started at the 17:24-mark and finished with around 12 minutes showing on the scoreboard. Kinsler led the charge with 13 points while WVSU gained a commanding 22-point lead, 74-52.

Wesleyan went on a 13-5 run shortly thereafter, but still trailed by 14 points, 81-67, at the end of it. State then outscored the Bobcats, 25-9, in the remaining eight minutes of the game to tally over 100 points for the fifth time this season and win by 30 points, 106-76.

WVSU shot over 50 percent from the floor and outrebounded WVWC, 44-25. The Yellow Jackets also scored 44 fastbreak points along with 43 points off turnovers.

Sitting in second place in the MEC standings, and ranked third in the Atlantic Region, State will make the long trip north to Notre Dame College next on Wednesday, Jan. 11th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

 
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