SALEM — West Virginia Wesleyan men’s basketball pushed Division II Independent Salem University to the wire Saturday afternoon, but a late free-throw sequence proved decisive as the Bobcats fell 76–75 inside T. Edward Davis Gymnasium.
Wesleyan led at the half, 45–44, after a back-and-forth opening 20 minutes that featured 12 ties and 16 lead changes overall. The Bobcats shot 44.7 percent from the floor in the first half and knocked down seven three-pointers to carry a one-point edge into the break
The second half mirrored the opening period with neither team able to create separation. Salem built a six-point cushion midway through the half, but Wesleyan answered with timely baskets, including multiple three-pointers from Litton, to stay within striking distance. With under a minute remaining, Lethaniel Foster Jr. finished at the rim to knot the score at 72–72.
Salem capitalized at the free-throw line in the closing seconds, converting enough attempts to take a narrow lead. Wesleyan had the final say, as Litton buried a contested three-pointer with one second remaining to cut the deficit to one, but the Bobcats were unable to get another look before time expired
The Bobcats were paced offensively by Curtis Litton, who delivered a strong performance off the bench with a team-high 18 points, connecting on 7-of-11 shooting and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Isaiah Baker added 17 points and three triples, while Jerell Baptiste chipped in 12 points and Adrijus Janciauskas contributed nine points, eight rebounds, and seven assists to stuff the stat sheet
Wesleyan controlled the glass, holding a 47–34 rebounding advantage, including 17 offensive boards that generated second-chance opportunities. The Bobcats also received 28 bench points, outscoring Salem’s reserves by a wide margin.
As a team, Wesleyan shot 40.8 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three-point range while limiting Salem to 20.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The difference came at the foul line, where Salem attempted 30 free throws to Wesleyan’s seven attempts in the one-point contest
For Salem, Zahki Fallen paced the Tigers with 18 points, while Justin Fisher added 15 points and converted key free throws in the final seconds. Jamari Gamble chipped in 14 points, and Xavier Price finished with 12 points while drawing multiple fouls, helping Salem attempt 30 free throws on the afternoon.
The Bobcats (0–9, 0–3 MEC) will head to West Liberty University on Wednesday, Dec. 17 for a 7:30 p.m. game with the Hilltoppers.
