INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- West Virginia State used a strong second-half performance to secure an 86-71 victory over Point Park on Wednesday night at the Walker Convocation Center. West Virginia State (11-11, 8-8 MEC) built on a narrow one-point halftime lead with a dominant second-half effort, outscoring Point Park (10-13, 4-12 MEC) by 14 points over the final 20 minutes. The Yellow Jackets shot 50% from the field for the game and converted 24-of-28 free throws to pull away late.
WVSU's balanced scoring effort was led by
Arthur Cox with 15 points and six rebounds, including three treys.
Nate Mims added 14 points, five defensive rebounds, and a pair of blocks.
Kenyon Giles also added 14 points with three assists.
Jaden Byers rounded out the top performers with 13 points.
Point Park jumped out to an early lead, with Aidan Anderson and Nazareth Fisher scoring six quick points to put the Pioneers ahead 11-6. West Virginia State answered with an 8-2 run, capped by a layup from
Miguel Martinez to tie the game at 18-18.
Kenyon Giles sparked the Yellow Jackets midway through the half, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to give them a slight edge. Point Park kept pace behind the steady play of Nathaniel Van and Nick Marshall, who combined for 15 points in the half.
West Virginia State briefly stretched its lead to four late in the half before Point Park's Anderson converted three consecutive free throws to regain the lead. A late basket from Nate Mims gave the Yellow Jackets a 41-40 advantage at the break.
West Virginia State opened the second half with a 13-2 run, led by Arthur Cox and Jae Slack. Cox drained a three-pointer to push the lead to double digits at 54-42. The Yellow Jackets continued to control the pace, with Mims adding six points in transition to extend the margin to 19.
Point Park struggled to find offensive rhythm in the second half, shooting just 25.7% from the field and committing five turnovers. Despite 16 points from Anderson, the Pioneers could not overcome the deficit.
Jaden Byers sealed the victory for West Virginia State with back-to-back free throws and a layup in the final minutes. Cox finished with a team-high 15 points, while Slack added nine and grabbed five rebounds.
