WHEELING, W.Va. – WVSU's men's basketball team came away with a 111-77 (16-6, 10-6 MEC) victory over the Wheeling University Cardinals (5-17, 3-13 MEC) on Saturday afternoon. State shot over 60 percent from the field in the first half to take a massive 26 point lead and never looked back. 

Malik Whittaker led all scorers with 26 points on the afternoon, going 10-for-13 from the field, including 5-of-7 from three point range and gathered eight rebounds. Noah Jordan also had a big game for the Yellow Jackets, scoring 25 points, going 11-for-12 from the field, a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc, and scooped six rebounds. 

State matched the school record for most three point baskets scored in a single game with 19. They did this while shooting 54 percent from the field, 46 percent from three-point land, and 8-of-12 from the charity stripe. Wheeling, meanwhile, shot just 35 percent from the field, 20 percent from long-range, and 19-of-29 from the free throw line.

The first four minutes of the game were hotly contested with both teams taking leads and tying the game up, eventually coming to a head at 9-9. State then went on a 16-4 run over a 3:43 span that included points from Whittaker, Jordan, and Anthony Pittman, 25-13. Both teams went scoreless for two minutes after the under-10 timeout. State went on a 23-8 run that lasted until the 1:44 mark of the half where they shot 8-of-11 from the floor and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, doubling up the Cardinals, 50-25. The half ended in a practical stalemate with State taking a 56-30 lead at the half.

The opening salvo of the second half started with Wheeling getting the lead down to 23, but with 12 minutes to go, Wheeling went on another scoring drought and WVSU exploded, going on a 17-3 run with Jordan contributing six, Miguel Martinez adding five, and Dwaine Jones and Whittaker each scoring three. Wheeling didn't score a field goal during the 4:10 long run with all three of their points coming from the free throw line. The Yellow Jacket defense continued to shut down the Wheeling offensive attack, allowing just one field goal for the Cardinals over the next three minutes. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets ballooned the lead to 43 points, 106-63 with just under four minutes to go, and WVSU cruised to the 111-77 win. 

Up Next
WVSU travels to Elkins, W.Va. for a Wednesday night showdown against the Davis & Elkins Senators on Feb. 8. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm. The Jackets defeated the Senators in Institute on Dec. 13 by a final of 85-69.