CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia State secured a 76-68 road victory over cross-county rival Charleston on Saturday at the Wehrle Innovation Center. The Yellow Jackets have won eight of their last nine games.

WVSU led 24-23 after a back-and-forth first quarter. The game saw seven lead changes and four ties in the opening period. Charleston took an early 3-0 lead before Baylee Goins answered with a three-pointer to tie the game. The teams traded baskets, with Kenly Rogers hitting a three for WVSU and Kiley Graham responding for Charleston. Emyah Fortenberry scored on a layup to give WVSU its first lead at 8-6. Charleston regained control with an 8-0 run, building a 14-8 advantage. WVSU responded with six straight points, including another three from Goins. The teams exchanged leads before a late three-pointer from Shanley Woods put WVSU ahead by one at the end of the quarter.

The Yellow Jackets outscored Charleston 18-10 in the second quarter to take a 42-33 halftime lead. WVSU opened the period with a 7-0 run, highlighted by a three from Woods. Charleston struggled from the field, shooting just 30% in the quarter. Emily Anthony extended the lead to nine with a three-pointer at the 5:42 mark. Charleston cut the deficit to five before WVSU went on another run, capped by a fast-break layup from Fortenberry. The Yellow Jackets' defense forced several turnovers, leading to transition points. Charleston had a brief scoring spurt but could not close the gap before halftime.

WVSU built its largest lead in the third quarter, outscoring Charleston 13-10. Fortenberry opened the period with a layup off a steal from Anthony. Goins added a three-pointer to push the lead to double digits. Charleston struggled from beyond the arc, missing all seven of its three-point attempts in the quarter. The Yellow Jackets capitalized on offensive rebounds, with Fortenberry scoring on a putback. Zakorrah Russell's layup extended the lead to 17 with 7:08 left in the quarter. Charleston answered with a 5-0 run, but WVSU maintained control with a steady defensive effort. A late basket from Rogers sent WVSU into the final period with a 55-43 lead.

Charleston mounted a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter but could not overcome the deficit. WVSU led by as many as 12 early in the period before Charleston trimmed the lead to six with under two minutes to play. Annarino hit a three-pointer to make it 71-64 with 1:39 left. The Yellow Jackets remained composed at the free-throw line, with Russell and Fortenberry combining to go 4-for-4 in the final 30 seconds. Charleston missed its final two field goal attempts, sealing the win for WVSU.

West Virginia State improves to 16-12 overall and 10-10 in conference play. Charleston falls to 15-13 and 10-10 in the MEC. WVSU now turns its attention to the conference tournament where they have locked in the seventh seed. They will face tenth-seeded Point Park at noon on Wednesday, March 5, at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling.