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West Virginia State University Athletics

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MBB2324 Thames
Photo: Sam Santilli
85
West Virginia St. WVSt 20-9,14-6 MEC
104
Winner Charleston (WV) UCM 26-4,17-3 MEC
West Virginia St. WVSt
20-9,14-6 MEC
85
Final
104
Charleston (WV) UCM
26-4,17-3 MEC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
West Virginia St. WVSt 33 52 85
Charleston (WV) UCM 40 64 104

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

Men's Basketball bows out of semifinals with defeat to UC

WHEELING, W.Va. – West Virginia State men's basketball (20-9, 14-6 MEC) was defeated by Charleston (26-4, 17-3 MEC) by a final score of 104-85 in the semifinals of the MEC Tournament on Saturday night.

Senior guard Mahzi Thames scored a season-high 29 points, shooting 4-of-7 from three-point land. Fifth-year forward Anthony Pittman recorded 16 points and seven rebounds despite facing foul trouble. Junior forward Arthur Cox posted 11 points and six boards.

West Virginia State kept Charleston close in the opening five minutes of the game. The Yellow Jackets only trailed by four points, 12-8, at the first media timeout.

The deficit grew to double-digits, 24-14, by the midway point of the first half. The Golden Eagles then utilized a 14-5 run over the next six minutes to take a 17-point lead, 38-21.

After baskets were traded, the Yellow Jackets scored 10 unanswered points in the last two minutes of the opening half. Mahzi Thames stroked a three-pointer to start the run. He added a layup later and was sent to the free throw line with a second left on the clock. He made his first shot, but missed his second. Miguel Martinez tipped in the rebound to cut Charleston's lead to seven points, 40-33, at halftime.

The momentum did not stay with WVSU after the break. UC went on a 19-6 run in the opening four minutes of the second half to go up by 20 points, 59-39. In addition falling behind early in the second stanza, Anthony Pittman was forced to take a seat after picking up his fourth foul within the first two minutes.

State was unable to really chip away at the lead until the 12:30 mark when Pittman  returned to the court. He started a 19-6 run by completing a three-point play fresh off the bench. Thames capped the run around the seven-minute mark by knocking down a corner three and shrinking the deficit to nine points, 78-69. Kalil Camara was fouled while shooting from behind the arc shortly thereafter. He made 1-of-3 shots from the charity stripe to briefly cut the lead to eight points, 78-70. Pittman then fouled out around the six-minute mark to take the wind out of State's sails.

The Golden Eagles were able to extend their lead to 18 points, 89-71, with 4:18 remaining in the contest. The nearly 20-point advantage with less than five minutes to play turned out to be too much to overcome by the Yellow Jackets.

The WVSU men's basketball program has won 20 or more games for three consecutive seasons now. The semifinals exit was a disappointment but marked the second time in five years that the Yellow Jackets made an appearance. State entered the MEC Tournament ranked ninth in the Atlantic Region so there is still an outside chance of a NCAA Tournament berth.
 
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