JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — West Virginia Wesleyan put five players in double figures and shot a solid 41% from the field, but a powerful offensive performance by Pitt-Johnstown proved too much to overcome as the Bobcats fell 113–84 on Monday night inside the UPJ Sports Center. The loss moves Wesleyan to 0–7 on the season (0–2 MEC).
The opening minutes featured back-and-forth scoring with Jerell Baptiste’s transition three tying the game at 3–3. Wesleyan briefly took a 13–12 lead after a Baustin Bowers triple, and another three from Baptiste knotted the score again at 16–16.
From there, UPJ seized momentum, using a 22–7 run to build a double-digit advantage. Despite solid inside scoring from Adrijus Janciauskas and Devin Pape, Wesleyan entered halftime trailing 55–39.
The Bobcats produced an improved second-half shooting effort (43% overall, 43% from three), but UPJ continued to score efficiently, shooting 56% from the field after the break. Wesleyan hit 6-of-14 from beyond the arc in the second half, including triples from Levi Wanless and Jevon Westfall, but the Mountain Cats’ size and pace allowed them to extend the lead.
UPJ dominated the paint 66–36 and held a 53–28 rebounding advantage, creating 24 second-chance points that kept Wesleyan from mounting a substantial rally. Their 55.8% shooting night and interior dominance ultimately defined the game.
Wesleyan returns to Mountain East Conference action Wednesday, Dec. 10 at the Rockefeller Center where they will host Point Park University at 7:30 p.m.
