GLENVILLE, W. VA. – The University of Charleston Golden Eagles (0-2, 0-2 MEC) fell to the Pioneers of Glenville State on Sunday evening by a score of 72-70 in a nail-biting contest that came down to the final possession for Charleston.
 
JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE:  Glenville State 72, Charleston 70
LOCATION: Glenville, W. Va.
TEAM RECORDS: Golden Eagles (0-2, 0-2 MEC), Pioneers (2-0, 2-0 MEC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
The Golden Eagles and Pioneers exchanged buckets for most of the first half, with four lead changes in the first ten minutes of the half accounting for a 16-16 tie just under eight minutes into the game. Isaiah Gable led the charge for Charleston, as he accounted for the teams' first ten points of the contest. With the game tied, Glenville State transitioned to a full court press which resulted in seven turnovers in the first ten minutes of the game for Charleston. With the Golden Eagles up 26-25 with just over seven minutes remaining in the half, Charleston bolted out on a 10-0 run over a five-minute span which extended their lead to 36-25. Hegel Augustin, who finished the half with 12 points, cut the Pioneer deficit to five after back-to-back three pointers but the Golden Eagles finished the half on a quick 5-0 run to take a 41-31 into the locker room.
 
UC prevailed in the first half on the boards, outrebounding the opposition 23-14. For the half, Gabel led the Golden Eagles with 12 points while Seth O'Neal dropped in ten of his own. After shooting just 38% from the floor against Concord on Thursday, Charleston was able to find the bottom of the net on 58.6% of their shots in the first half, while finding their stride from beyond the arc (5-of-12). Glenville state led the turnover battle in the first half, turning it over just six times compared to eight for Charleston.
 
Glenville stormed out in the second half and started the frame on a 18-6 run and trailed just 45-44 with 14:33 remaining in the game. The Pioneers took their first lead of the half with 13:38 left in the game after converting four shot from deep. With the game tied at 49, Glenville transitioned back into a man-to-man defensive set, allowing the Golden Eagles to push their lead to six on an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 57-49. In a half of advantages, Glenville State was able to regain the lead once again, using a 13-3 run to take a 62-60 lead with 6:30 remaining in the game. The Golden Eagles dug deep once again, using an 8-0 run to regain their lead to six. With the Golden Eagles leading by a point with under two minutes remaining, a bucket from the Pioneers and a costly turnover from the Golden Eagles allowed for GSC to bring their lead to three. A layup from O'Neal brought the score to 69-68 in favor of Glenville with 38.7 seconds remaining, before the Golden Eagles regained possession with 19.7 seconds left after a missed shot from John Williams. A missed layup from Lamont McManus out of the timeout forced the Golden Eagles to foul and send Augustin to the line. After missing the back end of the free throws, Charleston controlled the rebound and Gabel was fouled which allowed Charleston to tie the game at 70 all. With the ball and a chance to win, Nicholas Edwards prevailed for the Pioneers with a floater in the paint with 1.2 seconds remaining to give Glenville State a two-point advantage. The Golden Eagles were able to get a shot off to in the final second, but it fell short and allowed the Pioneers to seal victory.

Charleston Leaders (31-of-50, 58.8 percent from the field)
Seth O'Neal – 21 points, 6 assists
Isaiah Gable – 16 points, 6 rebounds

Glenville State Leaders (26-of-64, 40.6 percent from the field)
Nicholas Edwards – 19 points, 8 assists
John Williams – 16 points, 3 rebounds
Hegel Augustin – 13 points, 9 rebounds

Up Next:
The Golden Eagles play host to the Battlers from Alderson Broaddus on Wednesday at the Innovation Center with tip scheduled for 7:30 PM.