Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

West Virginia State University Athletics

Navigation stripe
MBB2223 Martinez
Photo: Todd Griffith
61
West Va. Wesleyan WVW 2-22,2-16 MEC
84
Winner West Virginia St. WVSt 17-7,11-7 MEC
West Va. Wesleyan WVW
2-22,2-16 MEC
61
Final
84
West Virginia St. WVSt
17-7,11-7 MEC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
West Va. Wesleyan WVW 27 34 61
West Virginia St. WVSt 38 46 84

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

Yellow Jackets win comfortably versus Wesleyan

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University men's basketball team (17-7, 11-7 MEC) bounced back with an 84-61 win over West Virginia Wesleyan (2-21, 2-16 MEC) on Saturday afternoon at the Walker Convocation Center. The Yellow Jackets held the lead for over 38 minutes of the contest.

Redshirt freshman Miguel Martinez was the game's leading scorer with a season-high 21 points. He shot 9-of-11 from the floor (82 percent), including three shots made from behind the arc. Junior forward Malik Whitaker picked up his eighth double double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony Pittman and Dwaine Jones also scored in double figures with 10 points each.

The opening 10 minutes of the contest was close. Martinez knocked down a three-pointer to start the scoring before the Bobcats hit a pair of jumpers to briefly take the lead, 4-3. That was the last time that Wesleyan held the lead for the remainder of the contest.

The Bobcats tied the score twice before the 14-minute mark and spent the rest of the first half trying to catch up. Halfway through the first stanza, State crept out to a three-point advantage, 17-14, after a put-back layup from Whitaker.

In the last 10 minutes of the first half, WVSU outscored Wesleyan 21-13 to go up by double digits.The Yellow Jackets made four three-pointers down the stretch and shot 5-of-5 from the charity stripe to extend their lead. They subsequently ended up with an 11-point cushion, 38-27, at halftime.

State kept rolling in the second half and used a 14-3 run that finished shortly after the first commercial timeout to go further in front. The Yellow Jackets did not miss any of their six shots from the field in the three-minute span to take a 21-point lead, 56-35. By the second media timeout, State's lead increased by another point, 66-44. 

WVSU then removed all doubt by coming out of the third commercial timeout and dropping 11 unanswered points on the Bobcats. Aboubabcar Cisse stroked a jumper and completed a three-point play. Additionally, both Bunky Brown and Whitaker knocked down treys. With just over two minutes to play, State was ahead by a commanding 27 points, 82-55.

In the final two minutes, the Yellow Jackets sat back and defended their sizable advantage to walk off the court with their second victory in three games.  

WVSU shot 56 percent from the field and 48 percent from three-point range to win convincingly.

State will head to Alderson Broaddus next on Wednesday, Feb. 15th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

 
Print Friendly Version