BUCKHANNON – Tanner McGrew scored 28 points and Chris Dewberry fired in 25 points as the West Virginia Wesleyan eased past the UVa.-Cavaliers today in a Mountain East Conference contest in Rockefeller Center.
Wesleyan never trailed in the contest as they won a 79-65 decision.
The win improved the Bobcats to 13-9 overall and 8-8 in the MEC.
UVa.-Wise fell to 3-19 overall and 1-15 in the MEC.
McGrew went inside for a lay-up and then slammed one down to treat the Bobcats to an early 4-0 lead.
Still up by four, at 13-9, Dewberry unleased a three-pointer to put Wesleyan up by seven with six minutes gone.
With their lead whittled down to three, at 20-17, Dewberry uncorked another trey and Fred Brondsted put in a basket to increase the Bobcat lead to eight, at 25-17, with 6:25 left in the half.
UVa.-Wise went on a 10-4 run to close it to a 29-27 score, but Wesleyan scored the last five points of the half.
McGrew turned in an old-fashioned three-pointer and Ja'Sahn Johnson (pictured) went inside for two points as Wesleyan took a 34-27 lead into the intermission.
Wesleyan was up by six, at 39-33, when they went on a 12-0 run.
Dewberry hit consecutive treys, McGrew made two free throws and then a jumper and Grantham flipped in two free throws during the run as the 'Cats took a 51-33 lead with 12:26 left in the contest.
Wesleyan pushed their lead to 19 points several times over the next five minutes, which was their largest lead of the game.
With Wesleyan up 69-50 with 5:15 remaining, UVa.-Wise went on a 9-2 jaunt to make it a 71-59 contest.
Up 74-63, Johnson made a basket, Mo Berchie hit a free throw and Clay Todd hit a 15-footer to extend their lead back to 16, at 79-63.
Matt Day made a lay-up for UVa.-Wise to wrap up the scoring.
Following McGrew and Dewberry in the scoring column for the Bobcats were Garrett Grantham with 12 points and Johnson with six points.
Wesleyan shot an impressive 63.3 percent from the floor hitting on 31 of their 49 field goal attempts.
The Bobcats owned a 30-22 rebounding margin.
Wesleyan will return to action this Thursday when they visit the University of Charleston.
That game will tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
(Photo courtesy Peter Galarneau Jr.)
