INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State secured its third consecutive victory with a 98-69 win over Davis & Elkins on Wednesday night at the Walker Convocation Center. The Yellow Jackets improved to 13-11 overall and 9-8 in conference play, while the Senators fell to 9-16 and 5-12 in league action. Miguel Martinez led WVSU with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Jae Slack and Kenyon Giles added 17 and 16 points, respectively.
West Virginia State opened the game with early defensive pressure, forcing multiple turnovers. Davis & Elkins briefly held a 5-0 lead after an early three-pointer from Dontrell Jenkins and a layup from Emmanuel Oladeru. WVSU responded with a 12-0 scoring run, highlighted by Martinez's fast-break dunk and a three-pointer from Slack. The Yellow Jackets maintained control, extending their lead to double digits midway through the half. Giles converted a pair of free throws to push the advantage to 10, and a putback layup from Arthur Cox made it 25-14 with just over seven minutes remaining. Davis & Elkins struggled to generate offense, shooting 33.3% from the field in the first half. By halftime, WVSU held a 39-22 lead.
The Yellow Jackets continued their dominance in the second half, quickly stretching their advantage behind Martinez and Slack. A three-pointer from Slack extended the lead to 20 points in the opening minute. Davis & Elkins found some offensive rhythm, with Oladeru scoring inside and Ja'Kobe Strozier knocking down a three, but WVSU's efficiency on offense kept the Senators from gaining ground. Giles connected on back-to-back layups, and Martinez added a three-pointer to push the lead past 25 points. The Yellow Jackets shot 60% from the field in the second half and outscored the Senators 59-47. Late in the game, reserves closed out the win, with Jacob Rice and DeAngelo Canty adding baskets in the final minutes.
West Virginia State capitalized on 24 turnovers, scoring 24 points off Davis & Elkins' mistakes. The Yellow Jackets dominated the paint with a 40-38 scoring advantage and held a 28-21 edge in bench points. WVSU finished 50% from the field and 43.5% from three-point range. Davis & Elkins shot 41.8% overall but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 5-of-25 attempts.
The Yellow Jackets will look to continue their winning streak when they travel to West Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday, Feb. 22.
