No. 2 Charleston 100, No. 15 Bluefield State 88
CHARLESTON, W. Va. – The University of Charleston recorded a 100-88 win over Bluefield State in the first round of the WVIAC Tournament.
Eladio Espinosa led the victors with a team-high 19 points to go along with 16 rebounds. Xavier Humphrey came off the bench to net 14 points and pull down eight boards. PJ Reyes and Brandon Ross each connected for 13 points while Marco Richardson totaled 12 points and seven rebounds.
Chase Morgan registered a game-high 28 points for Bluefield State. Alex Webb accounted for 20 points while Roy Cooper added 19. Cooper and Daven Morris each pulled down a team-best six rebounds. BSC drained 18-of-30 three-point shots.
The Golden Eagles will face No. 7 Pitt-Johnstown at 3 p.m. in the WVIAC quarterfinals.
No. 3 Wheeling Jesuit 87, No. 14 Davis & Elkins 66
WHEELING, W. Va. – Wheeling Jesuit opened the game up in the second half en route to an 87-66 victory over Davis & Elkins in the first round of the WVIAC Tournament.
The Cardinals were guided by Recardo Gaddy’s team-high 21 points. He also added seven rebounds. Marquis Moore went for 17 points and five assists while Obi Ukwuoma totaled 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Steve Catich connected for 12 points while Joe Prati added 11.
PJ Turner scored a game-high 23 points in the loss for the Senators. He also dished out a team-high four assists. Ian Pinckney scored 16 points while D’Quan Lynch totaled 10. Malik Tinsley posted eight points and six rebounds.
The Cardinals square off against No. 6 Concord at 1 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals.
No. 4 WV Wesleyan 66, No. 13 Glenville State 43
BUCKHANNON, W. Va. – WV Wesleyan posted a 66-43 victory over Glenville State in the first round of the WVIAC Tournament.
Raymont McElroy posted a game-high 24 points for the Bobcats in the win. Colby Wohlleb and Reggie Chambers each accounted for 14 points while Travis Johnson garnered 10 points to go along with nine rebounds.
Jamel Morris and Mark Walker each totaled eight points for the Pioneers in the game. Walker also grabbed seven rebounds. Kevin Gray added seven points while Nate Cash accounted for nine boards.
The Bobcats will face No. 5 Alderson-Broaddus in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The tip is slated for 6:30 p.m.
No. 5 Alderson-Broaddus 79, No. 12 Fairmont State 64
PHILIPPI, W. Va. – Alderson-Broaddus overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Fairmont State 79-64 in the first round of the WVIAC Tournament.
Nate Barnes netted a game-high 33 points in the victory. Kurklin Bohanon added 21 points and 10 rebounds while Roy Brown garnered 12 points, eight assists and seven boards. Adam Kline came off the bench to hit for nine. The Battlers hit 63.3 percent of their shots from the floor.
The Falcons were guided by Isaac Thornton’s 23 points and seven rebounds. Chris Thompson connected on eight baskets for 19 points. Steve Custis added eight in the loss. FSU hit 13-of-16 charity tosses in the game.
The Battlers will face No. 4 WV Wesleyan in the quarterfinals of the WVIAC Tournament. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
No. 6 Concord 106, No. 11 Ohio Valley 76
ATHENS, W. Va. – Concord built an 18-point halftime advantage and rolled to a 106-76 victory over Ohio Valley in the first round of the WVIAC Tournament.
Javaughn Acree-Manuel posted a game-high 27 points to go along with eight assists. Cory Willard, Romel Kemp and Corey Neeley all went for 15 in the win. Kemp grabbed a team-best eight boards. The Mountain Lions drained 15 three-point buckets.
Kendall Allison guided the Fighting Scots with a team-best 21 points while also adding six boards. Austin Cunningham had 17 points, six rebounds and five assists while Jordan Brooks also connected for 17. Rodney Everage amassed 11 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes.
The Mountain Lions will face No. 3 Wheeling Jesuit in the quarterfinals of the WVIAC Tournament at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
No. 7 Pitt-Johnstown 85, No. 10 Seton Hill 75
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Pitt-Johnstown registered an 85-75 win over Seton Hill in the first round of the WVIAC Tournament.
Nick Novak led the Mountain Cats with a game-best 26 points while Jordan Miller accounted for 19 points and five rebounds. Patrick Grubbs chipped in 16 points and six boards. As a team, UPJ sank 23 free throws.
The Griffins were paced by Chris Giles’ 20 points. Matt Miller was just behind him, netting 18 in the game. Andrew Cressler totaled 17 points while Oliver Lewinson snared a team-high six rebounds. SHU buried 10 three-point buckets in the contest.
The Mountain Cats take on No. 2 Charleston at 3 p.m. on Thursday in the Civic Center.
No. 9 Shepherd 77, No. 8 WV State 66
INSTITUTE, W. Va. – Shepherd went on the road and defeated WV State 77-66 in the first round of the WVIAC Tournament.
Marcus Pilgrim poured in a game-high 26 points for the Rams. Chad Moore posted 18 points and 12 rebounds while Brantley Osborne amassed 11 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Moore also dished out four assists while Chauncey Burgazli swatted six shots.
The Yellow Jackets were guided by Corey Bethea’s team-best 25 points and team-high eight rebounds. Delrico Lane totaled 15 points to go along with six boards. Howard Douglas, III, accounted for eight points and eight rebounds while David Ford had four blocks.
The Rams will face top-seeded West Liberty on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals.