INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- It's called the Kanawha River Classic for a reason, and that reason was never more apparent than at the end of the 2025 edition held inside the Walker Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon when Jaden Byers took a rebound that was tipped back to him following a Jaedaun Slack drive and miss and with ice in his veins released the game-winning trey with 0.7 seconds left, watched the red lights come on and the horn blow, then watched the ball go through the net setting off pandemonium for the home crowd.

It was only the third three pointer of the game for the Yellow Jackets.

WVSU (9-8, 6-5 MEC) once again excelled at the free throw line, nailing 26-of-31 attempts, but was 19-of-53 from the field, including 3-of-16 from long range. Charleston (11-6, 8-3 MEC) took nearly half of their shots from downtown and only hit 8-of-35 attempts. The Golden Eagles ended 23-of-77 from the field and 11-of-17 from the charity stripe.

Byers's game winning shot propelled him to lead all scorers with 14 points, including six rebounds. Marshall transfer Aymeric Toussain scored 12 and had three blocks and four rebounds. Slack and Arthur Cox each contributed 11 points. Cox ended the game with a double-double, also gathering 10 boards.

West Virginia State opened the game with strong defensive energy, highlighted by Cox's early rebound efforts. Charleston's Loveday made an impact with an early turnaround jumper, giving the visitors a slim lead. WVSU's offense picked up momentum with Giles and Slack combining for key buckets to keep the game close. Charleston responded with Lipkins hitting a three-pointer on a fast break, and Jones added a steady presence inside. Despite a scoring run by Charleston midway through the half, WVSU rallied with an impressive 10-point scoring burst in the final two minutes, led by Martinez and Cox. A timely defensive stand from Giles ensured the Yellow Jackets entered halftime with a narrow 36-33 lead.

The second half was a back-and-forth affair, starting with Charleston briefly regaining the lead thanks to a three-pointer from Jones. Cox and Slack responded with timely baskets for WVSU to maintain the momentum. Lipkins and Shelton provided key plays for Charleston, including a fast-break three-pointer that tied the game at multiple intervals. Cox, however, was relentless in the paint, converting crucial layups to put WVSU back ahead. Charleston's second-chance points from Taylor and Jones kept the game tight. With under five seconds to play, Slack drove the paint to lay up a potential game winner, but his shot went off the iron, the rebound was kicked out and Byers drilled a three-pointer at the buzzer to secure a dramatic 67-65 win for the Yellow Jackets.

WVSU will travel to West Libery on Wednesday, Jan. 29 for a 7:30 p.m. tilt. The Hilltoppers are currently ranked No. 25 in this week's D2CSC poll.