INSTITUTE, W.Va. — West Virginia State men's basketball (4-7, 1-4 MEC) rallied in the second half and had chances in the final minute, but Frostburg State (6-5, 4-2 MEC) held on for a 78–76 victory Saturday afternoon inside the Walker Convocation Center in Mountain East Conference play.

The Yellow Jackets trailed 42–36 at the break before outscoring Frostburg State 40–36 after halftime, using interior defense to pull even multiple times down the stretch. WVSU tied the game at 76 with just over a minute remaining, but Frostburg State answered with a late basket at the rim and closed out the final possession defensively.

Hassan Belkhaddar led West Virginia State with 24 points, adding seven rebounds and five blocks in a strong two-way performance. Trey Harris followed with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Andrew Shull and Norris Bourne Jr. chipped in 11 and 12 points, respectively.

West Virginia State shot 26-of-68 from the field and knocked down 11 three-pointers, finishing 13-of-15 at the foul line. The Yellow Jackets held a slight edge in turnovers and generated second-chance opportunities, but Frostburg State countered with 48 points in the paint and edged the rebounding battle, 39–38.

Frostburg State was paced by Trey Simmons, who poured in 29 points, while DJ Daniel added 15 points and eight rebounds as the Bobcats improved to 4–2 in conference play.

West Virginia State steps out of conference Wednesday, Jan. 7, traveling to face Salem.