BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – West Virginia Wesleyan men’s basketball team picked up a much needed conference win against Frostburg State 81-71 on Wednesday night. WVWC shot 9-21 (48%) from three to help lead them to victory.
Frostburg State came out of the gates with high intensity, flushing down their first two buckets to take a quick 4-0 lead. Darius Green was first in the scoring column for the Bobcats, getting to the lane for a layup. NJIT transfer Jason Murphy was a tough task through the first five minutes, scoring eight of their first 13 points. Wesleyan was able to slow the pace down and knock down a couple jumpers to make it 18-15 at the under-10 media timeout.
The two exchanged baskets until Wesleyan took their first lead of the game on a D’Vante Rivera three with just under five minutes left in the half. Rivera scored 16 of his career-high 21 points in the first half. The Bobcats took a close 30-28 lead into the locker room.
Wesleyan relied on Rivera in the opening half and now it was time for their leading scorer, Darius Green, to do what he’s done all season for the Bobcats. Green opened up the half with a contested make from behind the arc, starting what would be a 17-4 run in the first nine minutes of the second half. Green found his shot, hitting tough layups and drawing fouls to convert at the free throw line.
WVWC built off of this, building as big as a 19-point lead after a Rivera corner three. FSU wouldn’t go away, trimming into the lead in the closing minutes, taking it possession by possession. With a little over 30 seconds remaining, Frostburg State cut it to 75-69 but great free throw shooting from Anthony Craven Jr. sealed the win for Wesleyan.
Agyei Edwards led Frostburg State, finishing with 21 points and seven rebounds. Jason Murphy eventually cooled down from his hot start but managed to finish the game with 16 points and a team-leading eight rebounds.
Wesleyan was led by Green with 29 points on 9-15 shooting from the field and seven rebounds. Rivera posted 21 points, knocking down three triples on the night. Craven Jr. chimed in with 13 points in his first game back from injury, including a perfect 8-8 night at the free throw line.
The Bobcats look to carry their momentum into Saturday as they host Davis & Elkins at 4 p.m. in a pivotal MEC matchup.
