INSTITUTE, W.Va. — Playing its first game since the passing of Ishmael Smith, West Virginia State men's basketball (4-6, 1-3 MEC) fell 66–61 to Chowan (6-7, 4-1 Conf. Carolinas) on Wednesday afternoon inside the Walker Convocation Center.

The Yellow Jackets stayed within striking distance throughout the second half, but an extended scoring drought proved costly. WVSU's final made field goal came at the 8:42 mark of the second half, after which the Yellow Jackets were limited to points at the free-throw line as Chowan closed out the contest.

Jaylen Subject led all scorers with 20 points on 5-of-13 shooting and went 9-of-12 at the line, adding eight rebounds. Blake Goodman provided a lift off the bench with 13 points in 26 minutes, while Trey Harris recorded a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

West Virginia State shot 17-of-67 from the field (25.4 percent) and 4-of-27 from three-point range, but stayed competitive by converting 23-of-33 free throws. The Yellow Jackets totaled 19 second-chance points and received 33 points from the bench, though Chowan controlled the glass by a 53–46 margin and turned 19 WVSU turnovers into key scoring opportunities.

Chowan was paced by Damerius Summers, who scored 26 points off the bench, as the Hawks shot 37.9 percent from the floor and made enough plays late to secure the road win.

West Virginia State returns to action Saturday, January 3, hosting Frostburg State at the Walker Convocation Center.