Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

West Virginia State University Athletics

Navigation stripe
MBB2223 Whitaker
Photo: Todd Griffith
102
Winner West Liberty WL 18-3,13-2 MEC
97
West Virginia St. WVSt 15-6,9-6 MEC
Winner
West Liberty WL
18-3,13-2 MEC
102
Final
97
West Virginia St. WVSt
15-6,9-6 MEC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
West Liberty WL 58 44 102
West Virginia St. WVSt 46 51 97

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

WVSU edged by No. 12 West Liberty, 102-97

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State men's basketball team (15-6, 9-6 MEC) was defeated by No. 12 West Liberty (18-3, 13-2 MEC) by a final score of 102-97 on Wednesday night at the Walker Convocation Center. The Yellow Jackets hung with the nationally-ranked Hilltoppers till the bitter end.

Junior forward Malik Whitaker picked up his seventh double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, sophomore guard Samier Kinsler recorded a team-high 24 points.

WVSU rushed out to a 10-2 lead in the opening three minutes. Whitaker scored eight of State's points during the run.

West Liberty then chipped away at the lead until it changed when the Hilltoppers went up 19-18 with 11:25 remaining in the first half. A 12-0 run by WLU that started two minutes later lengthened the deficit to 10 points, 33-23.

The Yellow Jackets managed to keep up with West Liberty in the final seven-and-half minutes of the first stanza and went into the locker room down by 12 points, 58-46.

In the second half, WVSU kept the game from slipping away and used a 17-11 run over a six-minute span to close the gap. Taevon Horton led the charge with seven points while State shot 7-of-9 from the field. The result was a five-point deficit, 86-81, with six-and-a-half minutes to play.

Before the last media timeout, the Hilltoppers extended their lead to 10 points, 92-82, prior to a late momentum shift. State came out of the timeout and scored eight unanswered to pull back within two points, 92-90, of West Lib. Kinsler finished off the surge with a three-pointer around the two-minute mark.

In the final two minutes of the contest, WLU made 10-of-11 free throw attempts to hang on to the lead.

The Yellow Jackets shot better from the field and outrebounded West Liberty. They made 54 percent of their shots from the floor, compared to 43 percent, and grabbed 48 rebounds, compared to 29 by WLU. On the other hand, the Hilltoppers forced 20 turnovers while only committing eight and drained 15 treys, compared to six by WVSU.

State will travel to Wheeling next on Saturday, Feb. 4 for a 4 p.m. tip-off.

 
Print Friendly Version