CHARLESTON, W. Va.—No. 23 University of Charleston Men's Basketball defeats Concord University (10-4, 6-4 MEC) 78-67 to extend their win streak to eight games. Junior DeAirius Barker led the Golden Eagles in scoring with 21 points, while Senior Eddie Colbert III followed closely behind with 19. With this victory, UC leads the Mountain East Conference with an overall record of 14-2 and a conference record of 9-1.

The Basics:
Location: Charleston, W. Va.
Score: 78-67 (UCWV)

How it Happened:
Following a three-pointer by the Mountain Lions to start the game, DeAirius Barker responded with one of his own. A block by Colbert III sparked a six-point run that featured two free throws by Barker and two layups by Shunta Wilson and Tyler Eberhart to put Charleston out in front. A jump shot by Concord cut the deficit to four, but a trey by CJ Meredith gave UC a 14-7 advantage over CU. The lead was short lived though, as the Mountain Lions clawed their way back, scoring the next eight points to regain the lead. A tug-of-war ensued for the rest of the half, with it ending with the Golden Eagles leading 39-38.

The close battle continued in the second half until Charleston took the lead on a shot from downtown and layup by Barker. From there, UC's momentum continued to build, while CU's dwindled. The Mountain Lions were unable to catch up from that point on, giving the Golden Eagles the 78-67 home victory. 

Up Next:
Charleston will host West Virginia State University on Saturday, January 27 in the Wehrle Innovation Center at 4pm. The Yellow Jackets are currently third in the MEC with an overall record of 11-5 and a conference record of 7-3.