CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Wesleyan College battled wire-to-wire in a Mountain East Conference showdown Wednesday evening, but a late basket in the final seconds lifted Charleston (WV) to a narrow 53–51 victory at H. Bernard Wehrle Arena.
 
The Bobcats (7–4, 5–3 MEC) trailed by two after the opening quarter, regrouped defensively in the second period, and then delivered their strongest stretch of the night in the third quarter, shooting 69.2 percent from the floor to seize a 41–35 advantage entering the final 10 minutes. Charleston answered with an 18-point fourth quarter and edged ahead in the closing moments.
 
Sydney Baird led Wesleyan with a team-high 14 points, knocking down 6-of-12 shots and connecting twice from beyond the arc. Kilah Dandridge added 12 points and a team-best five assists while playing all 40 minutes. Emma Witt finished with nine points, five assists, and three rebounds, and Allie Daniels was a force on the glass with nine rebounds to go along with eight points.
 
After a tightly contested first half that featured eight ties and multiple lead changes, Wesleyan found rhythm coming out of halftime. The Bobcats went 9-for-13 from the field in the third quarter, using timely perimeter shooting and strong interior finishes.
 
The fourth quarter turned into a possession-by-possession battle. Wesleyan held a slim lead multiple times inside the final five minutes, including a fast-break layup by Dandridge that made it 51–48 with just over two minutes remaining. Charleston responded at the free-throw line and then converted a layup in the final seconds to take the lead for good.
 
Wesleyan finished the game shooting 43.1 percent from the field and limited Charleston to 43.2 percent, but the Golden Eagles held a rebounding edge (34–24) and scored 16 second-chance points. The Bobcats forced 16 Charleston turnovers and scored 15 points off those miscues, keeping the contest tight throughout.
 
Jordan Scully paced the Golden Eagles with a game-high 18 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point range while also dishing out three assists. Ksenija Mitric contributed eight points and a team-best seven rebounds. Harper Annarino added six points and seven rebounds
 
Wesleyan returns home after a two-game road stretch and will play West Virginia State University at Rockefeller Center on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 4 p.m.