CHARLESTON, W.Va.—University of Charleston (14-3, 9-2 MEC) drops their first game since December 9 to West Virginia State University (12-5, 8-3 MEC), 82-75.

The Golden Eagles fell despite outscoring the Yellow Jackets 22-4 on fast break points, 15-9 on points off turnovers, 17-15 on second chance points, 21-19 on bench points and 42-40 on points in paint. With this loss, Charleston is knocked down to second place behind West Liberty University in the Mountain East Conference standings.

The Basics:
Location: Charleston, W. Va.
Score: 82-75 WVSU

How it Happened:
The Golden Eagles scored first on a free throw by Shunta Wilson, but the Yellow Jackets responded with a basket to put them in front. The lead went on to change hands until West Virginia State jumped ahead 40-34 on a seven-point run with only 55 seconds left on the clock.

Tyler Eberhart started the second half off with a shot from downtown to cut the deficit to three, but the Golden Eagles were unable to catch up, as they trailed the WVSU through the end of the game. Eberhart shot 5-11 (.455) from the floor with 20 points scored, three rebounds and three assists. Anthony Pittman played a key role in West Virginia State's victory, as he led the Yellow Jackets with 34 points scored in 34 minutes of game play. He also shot 14-23 (.609) from the field with nine rebounds and three assists.

Up Next:
The Golden Eagles look to redeem themselves on Wednesday, January 31 in the Wehrle Innovation Center, as they take on the Wheeling University Cardinals at 7:30pm. Wheeling poses a record of 5-11 overall and 2-8 in conference play.