Matchup
On Saturday at the Rockefeller Center, West Virginia Wesleyan Men's Basketball will look to start another winning streak against West Virginia State. Their previous three game streak was snapped at Charleston on Wednesday. Both teams enter Saturday's contest tied in the Mountain East Conference standings at 4-3, adding to the importance of this game for the Bobcats. In order to stay in the top half of the MEC, home games are must wins. WVSU is exactly the team that Wesleyan is not, the Yellow Jackets are third in the league in scoring, and last in the league in defense. They play fast and shoot often, and Wesleyan will have a big advantage if they can control the game at their preferred half-court pace. With WVSU not starting a man over 6'6,
Dusan Vicentic and
Ross Young have the potential to dominate the paint and slow the game to that desired pace.Â
Key Statistics
WVSU averages 99.7 points per game, Wesleyan averages 76.7
WVSU has the worst defense in the MEC, giving up 93.4 points per game.
Dusan Vicentic ranks fifth in the MEC in rebounding, and fifteenth in scoring.
Luka Petrovic has 423 career assists.
Storylines
Before the game,
Dusan Vicentic will be honored at mid-court for scoring his 1,000th career point on Wednesday at Charleston. WVSU has only played on the road two times this season. With the crowd behind the Bobcats, and the game at a slow pace, the Yellow Jackets could quickly find themselves in trouble in the Rock. Having won five out of their last seven before the loss at Charleston, the Bobcats can leave that result in the past with a good performance at home on Saturday. They were in a similar situation in early December, losing a game at home to Wheeling in the midst of a good stretch. The Bobcats put that loss to the Cardinals behind them by winning their next three, they will look to do the same starting with WVSU.Â
Players to Watch - West Virginia Wesleyan
Ross Young (11.3 pts, 67.5 fg%)
Clay Todd (10.5 pts, 40.5 3pt%)
Players to Watch - West Virginia State
Glen Abram (18.0 pts, 40.3 3pt%)
Anthony Pittman (14.3 pts, 8.5 reb, 2.7 stl)
Tipoff
Start time is scheduled for 4 PM following the Women's game.
