INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- The West Virginia State University men's basketball team outlasted West Virginia Wesleyan College 103-99 on Saturday afternoon at Walker Convocation Center, earning a hard-fought Mountain East Conference victory. The Yellow Jackets (8-18, 4-14 MEC) used a balanced scoring attack and timely free-throw shooting to fend off the Bobcats (2-23, 1-17 MEC) in a game that featured four ties and three lead changes. West Virginia State shot 53.2 percent from the field and placed five players in double figures, overcoming a 99-point effort from Wesleyan.

West Virginia State came out firing, knocking down nine first-half 3-pointers and shooting better than 61 percent from the floor before the break. Bryson Smith and Andrew Shull helped stretch the defense early, while Trey Harris controlled the paint and the glass as the Yellow Jackets built momentum. Wesleyan answered behind Curtis Litton and Jerell Jean-Baptiste, who combined for 40 points in the game, keeping the Bobcats within striking distance throughout the half.

Despite Wesleyan briefly grabbing the lead midway through the period, State responded with a surge fueled by Blake Goodman off the bench and steady play from Jaylen Subject. A late flurry, including inside finishes from Harris, allowed the Yellow Jackets to take a 54-50 advantage into the locker room. State's efficient shooting and 30 bench points proved critical in offsetting Wesleyan's 22 first-half field goals.

The Bobcats continued to apply pressure early in the second half, trimming the deficit to five on multiple occasions as Litton found his rhythm from beyond the arc. Lamont Jones added 16 points for Wesleyan, helping spark a quick 7-0 burst that forced State to tighten defensively. However, Harris took over during a pivotal stretch, converting at the free-throw line and attacking the rim to push the margin back to double digits.

West Virginia State sealed the win in the closing minutes by capitalizing at the stripe, finishing 25-of-33 from the line, including 18 second-half makes. Harris led all scorers with 28 points and 10 rebounds, while Subject added 22 and Goodman chipped in 19. Wesleyan closed within two in the final seconds after a pair of late 3-pointers from Litton, but the Yellow Jackets calmly knocked down free throws to secure the 103-99 victory and snap a skid in conference play.