Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

West Virginia State University Athletics

Navigation stripe
MBB2223 Horton
Photo: Todd Griffith
92
Winner West Virginia St. WVSt 20-8,14-8 MEC
81
Charleston (WV) UCM 19-9,16-6 MEC
Winner
West Virginia St. WVSt
20-8,14-8 MEC
92
Final
81
Charleston (WV) UCM
19-9,16-6 MEC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
West Virginia St. WVSt 44 48 92
Charleston (WV) UCM 46 35 81

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

Yellow Jackets wrap up regular season on three-game win streak

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia State men's basketball team (20-8, 14-8 MEC) was victorious by a final score of 92-81 against crosstown rivals Charleston (19-9, 16-6 MEC) on Saturday afternoon at the Wehrle Innovation Center. The Yellow Jackets knocked UC down to the No. 3 seed in the MEC Tournament with the win and redeemed their Kanawha River Classic defeat earlier in the season.

Point guard Dwane Jones was the game's leading scorer with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field. Four other Yellow Jackets scored in double-figures including Taevon Horton (15 points), Antonio Carter (15 points), Ibn Loyal (12 points) and Samier Kinsler (12 points). Carter;s 15 points was a career-best.

The game did not begin well for State. Eight-and-a-half minutes in, the Yellow Jackets found themselves down 21-10 to the Golden Eagles. 

WVSU then flipped the script over the ensuing seven minutes with a dominant 22-12 run. Noah Jordan bookended the run with a layup at the beginning and a three-pointer at the end. State shot 8-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-5 from three-point range, while forcing five turnovers, to get back within one point, 33-32, of UC with five minutes until halftime.

The last five minutes of the opening half was then played nearly evenly. Jones made a layup just before the halftime buzzer to leave the Yellow Jackets with a two-point deficit, 46-44, to overcome at the break.

The Golden Eagles extended their lead to double-digits, 61-51, in the initial four minutes of the second half. The momentum shifted soon after with State going on a 20-7 run over the next six minutes. WVSU was repeatedly sent to the free throw line during the stretch. Eventually, the Yellow Jackets were able to play freely and Jones drained a trey to put them up by three, 71-68, at the midway point.

State kept the lead until around the six-minute mark when Charleston tied it at 78-apiece. The score remained tight for the following four minutes. In the final two minutes of the game, UC went cold while Jones and Horton led WVSU to victory.

Both Jones and Horton made shots in the closing minutes before being sent to the charity stripe to make 6-of-6 free throws between the two of them. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles missed their last three field goal attempts and turned the rock over twice.

The Yellow Jackets made 86 percent of their free throws while outrebounding Charleston, 30-21. They also did well with only 10 turnovers in 40 minutes compared to 18 by UC.

WVSU earned the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye in the MEC Tournament at the WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. with the victory. State will play No. 5-seeded Notre Dame College on Friday, March 3 at 8:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals. For more information, visit the MEC Tournament Central. Tickets can be purchased here.

 
Print Friendly Version