INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- West Virginia State put on a free throw shooting clinic in their 14th consecutive victory over the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats on Monday night in the Walker Convocation Center, 101-83. WVSU made 37-of-39 free throws breaking a school record for most free throws made in a single game originally set on Feb. 28, 2004 against West Virginia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have won 15 of the last 15 meetings against the Bobcats, last suffering a defeat on Feb. 3, 2018 in Buchannon. State hasn't lost at home to them since Jan. 16, 2017.
State improves to 7-8, 4-5 in the Mountain East. Wesleyan falls to 3-13, 1-8 in conference play.
State's
Jaedaun Slack led the WVSU offense, shooting 3-of-4 from inside the arc, 3-of-5 from beyond three-point range, and 10-of-10 from the free throw line. He also pulled down 6 rebounds. Ju'juan Ray was right behind with 16 points while
Nate Mims and
Aymeric Toussaint each contributed 11 points. As a team, WVSU shot 48.3 percent from the field and an unconscious 94.9 percent from the charity stripe.
West Virginia State and West Virginia Wesleyan traded leads early in a competitive first half that saw five ties and seven lead changes. WVSU's
Arthur Cox opened the scoring with a pair of free throws, while Slack and
Kenyon Giles added timely three-pointers to give the Yellow Jackets an edge. West Virginia Wesleyan responded with Alexander Gray and Alex Mirhosseini leading the way, combining for 23 points in the half. The Yellow Jackets used a 9-0 run midway through the half, highlighted by Cox's inside scoring and
Miguel Martinez's defensive play, to take their largest lead at nine points. However, Wesleyan's perimeter shooting kept them within striking distance, as they converted six three-pointers at a 42.9% clip. WVSU capitalized on turnovers, scoring seven points off Wesleyan miscues, while Slack's 9 first-half points helped maintain their lead. At halftime, WVSU held a narrow 42-40 advantage, shooting 48.1% from the field and an efficient 85.7% from the free-throw line.
The second half saw WVSU dominate with a 59-point explosion, propelled by perfect free-throw shooting (25-of-25) and strong defensive play. Slack continued his hot hand, scoring 16 of his game-high 25 points in the period, while Toussaint and Ray contributed 19 combined points. WVSU opened the half with an 8-2 run, fueled by Slack and Mims, to establish a six-point lead. Wesleyan battled back behind Mirhosseini's 15 second-half points, but the Yellow Jackets extended their lead with a 7-0 run midway through the period, capped by Ray's three-pointer. Turnovers proved costly for Wesleyan, as WVSU converted 17 points off their mistakes. The Yellow Jackets' bench provided critical depth, scoring 33 points, and their defense limited Wesleyan to 13.3% shooting from beyond the arc in the second half. WVSU closed the game on a strong note, with Mims' late dunk and Cox's free throws sealing a convincing 101-83 victory.
WVSU travels to Glenville State for a rematch against the Pioneers. State and Glenville State battled in the Walker Center on Nov. 23, 2024 which State ultimately won 82-79. The rematch in the Waco Center is scheduled to tip at 7:30 p.m.
