BECKLEY, W.Va. - WVU Tech men's basketball trimmed a 14-point second-half deficit to four but could not complete the comeback Saturday afternoon, falling 71-60 to Indiana University Southeast in River States Conference action at the Beckley Raleigh County Convention Center. The Golden Bears moved to 5-11 overall and 2-4 in league play, while the Grenadiers improved to 13-5 and 5-1 in the RSC.
IU Southeast controlled the opening half, building an 11-point lead at the break and taking a 35-24 advantage into halftime. The Grenadiers pushed the margin to 14 early in the second half before Tech began chipping away with defensive stops and trips to the foul line, pulling within four at 49-45 with 10:35 remaining.
Tech continued to battle late, but Indiana Southeast answered with timely baskets to hold the lead down the stretch. WVU Tech went 20-of-27 at the line, while IU Southeast finished 12-of-17.
Golden Bear Highlights
Brandon Moore scored 14 points to go with three assists, while Ian Goings added 14 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Trayten Woods finished with 11 points and six rebounds, knocking down three three-pointers. Roman Kellum chipped in eight points and Jakyren Woods added six.
For IU Southeast, Trent Hinkle led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds. Nathaniel Hoffman scored 12 points and Jaden Johnson added 13.
Quick Comparison
Indiana Southeast entered the weekend averaging 78.6 points per game, and WVU Tech held the Grenadiers to 71. The difference came from the arc and the glass: Tech shot 4-of-21 from three and was out-rebounded 35-28, while IU Southeast finished 7-of-21 from deep. Tech also shot 1-of-11 from three in the first half before settling in after the break.
Season Totals (through Jan. 17)
Record: 5-11 overall, 2-4 RSC (3-2 home, 1-6 away, 1-3 neutral)
- Points per game: 74.7
- Rebounds per game: 34.1
- Assists per game: 14.5
- Field-goal percentage: 45.7
- Three-point percentage: 33.3
- Free-throw percentage: 71.4
Team Leaders (season averages)
What's Next
WVU Tech continues River States Conference play Tuesday night, traveling to Midway University for a 7:30 p.m. tip in Midway, Ky. The Golden Bears then head to Indiana University Kokomo for a 3 p.m. matchup Saturday, Jan. 24.
