Bobcats start new year with 20-point loss to Salem

BUCKHANNON, W.VA.– Jayden Hibbitt poured in a game-high 29 points on Saturday inside Rockefeller Center in a 86-66 loss for the West Virginia Wesleyan (1-11) men’s basketball team. WVWC took on Salem (10-4) in the team’s final non-conference matchup.
 
Leaders for WVWC
Hibbitt recorded three steals to go along with his 29 points. Hibbitt was 11-22 from the field and 2-4 behind the arc. Braeden McGrew scored 11 points while shooting 3-6 from three. McGrew played all 40 minutes and led the Bobcats in rebounds and assists, recording eight and seven respectively. John Ibukunoluwa had a career-high 10 points to go along with seven rebounds.
 
Leaders for Salem
Fonz Hale led the Tigers with 27 points on 8-14 shooting. Tobias Howard Jr. tallied 18 points while recording five rebounds and distributing five assists. Barron Tanner was the final Tiger in double digits with 13 points on the afternoon.
 
Inside the First Half
In the first half, the Tigers jumped out to a 15 point lead in the first six minutes before Hibbitt stopped the run with a deep triple. With 10:31 remaining Hibbitt would trim the Salem lead to nine after converting his second triple on the afternoon. However, McGrew would make a three of his own at the 8:23 mark when Brian Bernard found McGrew open in the right corner. Bernard would beat the buzzer to end the half after taking the Aundre Bills missed free throw the length of the court and drilling a contested two from the left baseline.
 
Inside the Second Half
The ‘Cats would go on a run to open up the second half thanks to six points from Ibukunoluwa in the opening minutes of the half. WVWC would get the Salem lead down to 10 points with 16:18 left in the final half. Salem would go on a 12-3 run over the next five minutes to make the score 67-45.
 
Up Next
WVWC welcomes Charleston to Buckhannon on Wednesday in a Mountain East Conference matchup set to tip-off at 7:30.