WHEELING, W.Va. — In a tightly contested battle at WesBanco Arena, the No. 7-seed West Virginia State Yellow Jackets held off a furious fourth-quarter comeback from the No. 2-seed West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats to secure a 61-58 victory in the Mountain East Conference quarterfinals.
 
West Virginia State (18-12, 10-10 MEC) jumped out to an early lead, using a strong second quarter to create separation. The Yellow Jackets led 35-25 at halftime behind a balanced offensive effort, with Baylee Goins leading the way. Goins, who finished with a team-high 18 points, was particularly effective from beyond the arc, going 3-for-6 from deep.
 
Wesleyan (19-9, 13-7 MEC) struggled to find a rhythm early, shooting just 21.4% in the first quarter, but after trailing by as many as 11 points, Wesleyan found momentum in the third. Led by Emma Witt and Desiree Roy, the Bobcats made a push, outscoring West Virginia State 17-14 in the period. Witt was dominant, recording a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Roy added 14 points and 12 boards.
 
Sydney Baird also played a key role, scoring 11 points and dishing out four assists, but turnovers plagued Wesleyan throughout the game. The Bobcats committed 22 turnovers, leading to 28 points for West Virginia State.
 
Wesleyan continued to chip away in the final frame, cutting the deficit to two points with just over a minute remaining. Witt's layup with 10 seconds left pulled the Bobcats within three, but clutch free throws from Goins sealed the win for the Yellow Jackets.
 
Despite a late flurry from Wesleyan, including a put back from Roy in the final second, time ran out on the Bobcats' comeback attempt.
 
Key Performances

• West Virginia State:
  • Baylee Goins – 18 points, 3-of-6 from three, 5-of-6 FT
  • Latisha Parris – 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal
  • Emyah Fortenberry – 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
  • Hallie Bailey – 9 points off the bench
     
• West Virginia Wesleyan:
  • Emma Witt – 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks
  • Desiree Roy – 14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks
  • Sydney Baird – 11 points, 4 assists

 
Wesleyan ends its 2024-25 season with an inspiring turnaround from last year. The MEC honored three players to the All-Conference rosters with Emma Witt (First-Team), Sydney Baird (First-Team) and Shelby Genes (Honorable Mention). Witt was the conference's No. 2 scorer with 19.7 points per game and Baird was the MEC's best free-throw shooter with a 92.2 percent average.