DUNBAR, W.Va. — The West Virginia Wesleyan College men's basketball team delivered an aggressive offensive performance Saturday afternoon but came up just short in a 103-99 Mountain East Conference loss at West Virginia State inside the Walker Convocation Center.
 
The contest featured offensive fireworks from the opening tip. Wesleyan struck first on an Isaiah Baker layup before West Virginia State answered with back-to-back three-pointers to seize early momentum.
 
Curtis Litton quickly found his rhythm, burying a pair of three-pointers midway through the half to help the Bobcats erase a nine-point deficit and knot the score at 12-12. Lamont Jones and Jerell Jean-Baptiste added key baskets as Wesleyan briefly grabbed the lead, highlighted by a Nick Davis layup at the 11:58 mark that made it 20-17 in favor of the Bobcats.
 
The teams traded runs throughout the remainder of the half. Litton continued his hot shooting inside and out, while Milos Cirovic provided a spark off the bench with strong finishes in the paint late in the period. Wesleyan closed the half on a quick burst, trimming the deficit to 54-50 at the break
 
The Bobcats shot 53.7 percent in the opening 20 minutes and connected on six three-pointers to keep pace with a West Virginia State squad that hit nine first-half triples.
 
State extended its lead early in the second half behind the interior play of Trey Harris and timely three-point shooting from Jaylen Subject. The Yellow Jackets stretched the margin to 18 points midway through the half.
 
Lamont Jones ignited a rally with a fast-break jumper and a transition three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 13. Lethaniel Foster Jr. followed with a three of his own to bring the Bobcats within 10 at 73-83.
 
Litton continued to attack, finishing through contact and later drilling a three-pointer with 1:38 remaining to pull Wesleyan within single digits. In the final minute, Litton buried another triple to trim the deficit to just two points at 99-101 with 25 seconds left.
 
After forcing a pair of missed free throws, the Bobcats had a final opportunity, but a contested three-pointer at the buzzer fell short as West Virginia State secured the rebound and the 103-99 victory.
 
Curtis Litton delivered a standout performance with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Jerell Jean-Baptiste added 18 points and three assists, while Lamont Jones contributed 16 points and four assists. Isaiah Baker finished with 12 points, and Milos Cirovic chipped in 10 off the bench.
 
Wesleyan scored 44 points in the paint and converted 25 points off turnovers. The Bobcats also received 28 bench points in the effort
 
West Virginia State was led by Trey Harris' 28-point, 10-rebound performance. Jaylen Subject added 22 points, and Blake Goodman provided 19 off the bench. The Yellow Jackets converted 25-of-33 free throws compared to Wesleyan's 5-of-11 mark.
 
The Bobcats will close its home season schedule on Wednesday, Feb. 25 when they host MEC powerhouse Fairmont State University for a 7:30 p.m. start.