BUCKHANNON – Despite a valiant second-half push, West Virginia Wesleyan was unable to overcome West Virginia State University, falling 80-65 in front of a home crowd at the Rockefeller Center. The Bobcats kept the game competitive deep into the second half but were ultimately undone by turnovers and an offensive surge from the Yellow Jackets.
Wesleyan’s defense showed flashes of dominance early, forcing nine turnovers and recording five blocks, including key rejections from Stephen Ovia and Alex Gray that helped limit State’s interior scoring. The Bobcats also held the Yellow Jackets to just 1-of-4 from three-point range in the second half, forcing the visitors to rely on its inside game.
After trailing by 10 at halftime (35-25), Wesleyan (5-21, 2-16 MEC) mounted a 12-3 run early, trimming the deficit to just 44-41 after a fastbreak dunk from Anthony Crosby and a three-pointer from Michael Batchelor.
But with 14:45 remaining, a quick layup from State’s Nate Mims started a 10-2 run, stretching the lead back to double digits. Wesleyan struggled to regain control, and despite solid shooting from the free-throw line (13-of-18, 72.2%), the ‘Cats couldn’t keep pace.
- Top Performers for Wesleyan
- Alex Mirhosseini – 16 points, 4 rebounds, 6-of-7 FT
- Anthony Crosby – 16 points, 6 rebounds, 7-of-12 FG
- Curtis Litton – 10 points, 2 three-pointers, 3 rebounds
- Stephen Ovia – 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block
- By the Numbers
- Field Goal Percentage: Wesleyan 38.3% (23-60), State 43.5% (27-62)
- Three-Point Shooting: Wesleyan 24.0% (6-25), State 33.3% (4-12)
- Free Throws: Wesleyan 72.2% (13-18), State 66.7% (22-33)
- Rebounds: Wesleyan 33, State 39
- Turnovers: Wesleyan 13, State 9
- Bench Points: Wesleyan 20, State 27
The Bobcats travel to Fairmont State University on Wednesday, Feb. 26 for a 7:30 tip as the team heads toward its final pair of regular season games.
