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MBB2324 Cox
Photo: Todd Griffith
89
Wheeling WHE 3-5 (1-3 MEC)
96
Winner West Virginia St. WVSU 5-3 (3-2 MEC)
Wheeling WHE
3-5 (1-3 MEC)
89
Final
96
West Virginia St. WVSU
5-3 (3-2 MEC)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Wheeling WHE 41 48 89
West Virginia St. WVSU 53 43 96

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

WVSU triumphs against Wheeling in high-scoring affair

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State men's basketball (5-3, 3-2 MEC) won its fourth-straight contest against Wheeling (3-5, 1-3 MEC) by a final score of 96-89 on Wednesday night at the Walker Convocation Center. Even though there was a constant trading of baskets, the Yellow Jackets held the lead for nearly 39 minutes.

Anthony Pittman dropped 25 points, shooting 3-of-5 from three-point range, to lead his team in scoring. Four other Yellow Jackets scored in double-figures including Miguel Martinez (14 points), Arthur Cox (13 points), Nate Mims (12 points) and Kalil Camara (10 points).

There was not much defense on display in the game with both teams shooting over 50 percent from the floor and from beyond the arc. Wheeling picked up the first points of the contest with a layup about a minute after tip-off. State then gained the lead around 15 seconds later when Mims connected on a three-pointer and never let go of it. Mims's three-pointer kicked off a 13-3 run that included two other treys from Martinez and Cox. At the end of the run, the Yellow Jackets led by eight points, 13-5, with just under 16 minutes left in the first half.

The Cardinals gained the momentum over the following seven or so minutes and pulled back to within two points, 22-20, of WVSU. The momentum then shifted back-and-forth for the next four-and-a-half minutes. State picked it up first with an 11-2 run over a two-minute span before Wheeling seized it with an 11-3 run. When Wheeling's run came to an end with four minutes to go, the Yellow Jackets were left with a three-point lead, 36-33.

WVSU finished the first half strong and outscored the Cardinals by a 17-8 margin. Inside of a minute, both Martinez and Cox banked layups without a response from Wheeling. Cox's buzzer-beating layup gave State a 12-point advantage, 53-41, at halftime.

The Cardinals spent the opening 10 minutes of the second half steadily chipping away at the lead. They came close to completely closing the gap around the nine-minute mark when eight unanswered points cut their deficit to one point, 71-70. 

Camara knocked down a clutch three-pointer to keep Wheeling at arm's length before the next four points all went State's way. The Cardinals then embarked on a 10-3 run to pull back within one point again, 81-80, with five minutes to play. 

Pittman halted Wheeling's momentum this time by driving in the lane for a contested layup and completing a three-point play. Between the five- and two-minute marks, WVSU held the Cardinals to two points from a jumper while adding eight points to its tally.  

With a seven-point edge going into the final two minutes, all the Yellow Jackets needed to do was hit free throws to hang on to win it. They did so by sinking 7-of-8 shots from the charity stripe.

State will travel to nationally-ranked No. 2 West Liberty on Saturday, Dec. 9 for a 7:30 p.m. tussle next.
 
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