Charleston, W. Va – The Golden Eagles hosted the Alderson Broaddus Battlers on Saturday for an MEC men's basketball matchup late in the regular season. The last time these two teams met, it was Charleston coming on top 69-55 back in January. Alderson Broaddus needed to win this game in order to have a chance at making the quickly approaching MEC Tournament. 
 
The Basics
Location: Wehrle Innovation Center
Score: UC 99, ABU 70
Records: UC (18-8, 15-5 MEC), ABU (9-16, 7-13 MEC) 
 
How it Happened
The Battlers put up a phenomenal fight against Charleston in the first half of the ballgame. They would hit 50% of their shots inside the arc and finish with an incredible 64% conversion rate from three-point territory. Despite their numbers, Charleston posted high numbers of their own, including a 54% from the field and a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line. Through 10 minutes of action, the Golden Eagles would hold a slim margin over Alderson Broaddus, but they would find a way to stretch their lead with five triples coming from Deng Nhial, Jeremiah Keene, and CJ Meredith. Tyler Eberhart's quick layup before the horn would give Charleston a 45-35 going into the break. 
 
It is very hard to compete with a team that makes more than 70% of their mid-range shots, but it's even harder to compete against an 80% three-point percentage in one half of basketball. The Battlers struggled on offense in the second half, which gave way for Charleston to light up the scoreboard. Jeremiah Keene's triple with 10:15 remaining in the second half would give the Golden Eagles a 29-point lead. The team would hold on for their 18^th overall win of the year with a 99-70 victory over Alderson Broaddus. 
 
CJ Meredith ended up with 19 points on the night followed by Deng Nhial who finished with 14 points. In total, there were six Golden Eagles who finished with double-figures and 35 bench points. 
 
Up Next
The Golden Eagles will hit the road this Wednesday to face the Glenville State Pioneers in the Waco Center on February 22^nd at 7:30 PM.