WHEELING, W.Va. — West Virginia State men's basketball continued its dominance over Wheeling with an 85-83 victory on Wednesday night at the Alma McDonough Center. The Yellow Jackets (5-3, 3-2 MEC) secured their second consecutive win of the season and their ninth straight victory in the series, with their last loss to the Cardinals (4-5, 1-4 MEC) coming on February 8, 2020.

• First Half: WVSU surged ahead early, using their paint presence to take a 40-33 halftime lead. Miguel Martinez was instrumental, scoring 10 points in the opening frame while the Yellow Jackets' defense forced five turnovers.

• Second Half: State extended its lead to as many as 12 points midway through the second half and never surrendered the advantage. Wheeling rallied late, fueled by Caleb Murray's perimeter shooting and S.J. Hutchinson's game-high 22 points. However, Arthur Cox delivered a crucial block on a game-tying jumper attempt in the final seconds to seal the victory.

Martinez led the Yellow Jackets with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting and added three blocks. Jae Slack recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Cox and Nate Mims added nine points each. WVSU dominated in the paint, outscoring Wheeling 46-40, and registered eight blocks as a team.

West Virginia State returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 14, when they host West Liberty at 7:30 p.m. in Institute.