Recap

West Virginia Wesleyan Men's Basketball made history on Wednesday night. Only seven teams have beaten West Liberty at the ASRC in the past decade. Make it eight. The Bobcats completed a legendary comeback in the second half to defeat the Hilltoppers 94-91. Down twenty-two points in the middle of the first half, the game looked all but over as West Liberty is dominant on their home floor, and came into Wednesday second in the NCAA in scoring. They also came into Wednesday with a fresh #14 ranking from the NABC, and a #16 ranking from D2SIDA. Records and rankings go out the door when the ball is tipped in the Mountain East Conference, and Wesleyan certainly proved that to be true. The Bobcats shot nine of ten from three during the second half comeback, which was completed when Senior Forward Dusan Vicentic drilled a three-pointer with only a second remaining. The Serbian native took a pass from Braeden McGrew, and confidently rose up to sink the game-winner. Sophomore Daylin Lee also played an integral role in the comeback, he nailed four of his five three-point attempts, and was a constant threat on the drive. Junior Ross Young also added sixteen points, and the Bobcats do not win without his improved free-throw shooting (6-7) on Wednesday night. 

Historic Night

West Liberty had won 28 out of the last 29 meetings between these two teams. West Virginia Wesleyan is one of only eight teams to beat West Liberty on their home floor in the last ten seasons, and only the 37th team to do it in the history of the arena. The Hilltoppers had the highest winning percentage at home in the last decade across all NCAA institutions, higher than Kansas and Duke.

Impact

It is hard to understate what Coach Patella and the Bobcats accomplished on Wednesday night. Struggling at 1-6, they walked into the toughest building in the NCAA, got down twenty-two points, and came out with a win. This is one of the top wins from the West Virginia Wesleyan Men's Basketball program in the past decade, and it's the second regional power in a row that they have played strongly against. Despite their early season record, the Bobcats have proven that they are going to make noise in the Mountain East Conference this season. This senior-laden group just had a signature moment, the focus from here is to make sure it's not the only one this season.

Team Records

West Virginia Wesleyan bumps up to 2-6 overall, and are now tied for first place in the MEC at 2-1.
West Liberty falls to 5-2, and are also tied for first at 2-1.

Top Performers - West Virginia Wesleyan

Daylin Lee - 23 pts, 4-5 3pt
Dusan Vicentic - 15 pts, GW 3pt
Clay Todd - 16 pts, 6-9 fg
Ross Young - 16 pts, 6-7 ft

Top Performers - West Liberty

Dalton Bolon - 19 pts, 3-7 3pt
Marlon Moore Jr. 14 pts, 8 reb

Key Statistics

Three-Point Percentage
WVWC 68.8% - 50% WLU

Bench Points
WVWC 27-27 WLU

Points in the Paint
WVWC 30-30 WLU

Second Chance Points
WVWC 14-14 WLU

What's Next

West Virginia Wesleyan plays host to Wheeling on Saturday at the Rockefeller Center in Buckhannon. Tipoff is set for 4PM. Under new Head Coach Will Ryan, the Cardinals are defying expectations at 5-2 overall, and 2-1 in the MEC. 
West Liberty travels to Davis & Elkins on Saturday. The Senators are also off to a surprising 2-1 start in the MEC, including a win over Fairmont on the road.