INSTITUTE, W.Va. — West Virginia State turned in its second-best shooting performance of the season and stayed within striking distance through the opening 20 minutes Wednesday night before Mountain East Conference leader and nationally ranked No. 13 West Liberty pulled away in the second half for a 103–82 conference decision inside the Walker Convocation Center.

West Liberty (16–3, 11–1 MEC) set the tone early, knocking down 10 three-pointers in the opening half and building a 54–43 advantage at the break. The Hilltoppers finished the night shooting 38-of-78 from the field and 14-of-41 from long range, while generating 26 points off turnovers and 47 bench points to steadily extend the margin after halftime.

West Virginia State (5–14, 2–10 MEC) remained aggressive offensively, scoring 52 points in the paint and adding 24 fastbreak points, but struggled to keep pace from the perimeter and on the glass. The Yellow Jackets were limited to six three-pointers and were out-rebounded 45–28, allowing West Liberty to control second-chance opportunities throughout the night.

Camren Wilkes led the Yellow Jackets with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, adding five assists in the effort. Jaylen Subject and Aymeric Toussaint each scored 12 points, while Blake Goodman chipped in 11 off the bench. Andrew Shull added eight points and three assists, and Hassan Belkhaddar finished with nine points, five rebounds and two steals.

West Liberty placed six players in double figures, led by Cameron Williams with 16 points and four assists. Hayden Abdullah added 13 points and seven rebounds, while Myles Montgomery and Jamie Muldowney contributed 12 points apiece as the Hilltoppers' depth proved decisive over the final 20 minutes.

West Virginia State returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 31, traveling to Wheeling University's McDonough Center for a conference matchup at 4:00 p.m.