BECKLEY, W.Va. - WVU Tech men's basketball held off a late charge Saturday afternoon, earning a 79-78 River States Conference (RSC) victory over Brescia University (Ky.) at the Beckley Raleigh County Convention Center.
The Golden Bears improved to 10-14 overall and 7-7 in RSC play, while Brescia moved to 6-17 overall and 6-8 in conference action.
WVU Tech built a 41-36 halftime advantage and stretched its lead to as many as 13 points midway through the second half before withstanding a final-minute surge from the Bearcats.
Tech shot 48.1 percent from the field and knocked down 12 three-pointers, including seven in the first half. The Golden Bears also forced 19 Brescia turnovers and converted those into 17 points.
Brescia cut the deficit to one in the closing seconds on a three-pointer with eight seconds remaining, but Tech secured the defensive stop to seal the one-point win.
Golden Bear Highlights
Ian Goings delivered a dominant all-around performance with 22 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block. He went 7-of-12 from the field, 4-of-7 from beyond the arc and a perfect 4-of-4 at the free-throw line.
Trayten Woods added 20 points on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting night, including 4-of-5 from three-point range and 4-of-4 at the stripe. He also contributed three rebounds and two assists.
Brandon Moore finished with 11 points, two assists and two steals, while Jackson Tackett chipped in seven points in the starting lineup.
Off the bench, Cole Chapman provided steady ball movement with seven assists and added six points and five rebounds. Liam Craven contributed six points, and Roman Kellum added five.
WVU Tech held a 40-43 rebounding margin and limited Brescia to 32.9 percent shooting from the field.
For Brescia, Linkin Lockhart scored a game-high 23 points, while Israel Momodu added 15.
Conference Outlook
With the win, WVU Tech moves to 7-7 in River States Conference play, keeping pace in the middle of the East Division standings as the regular season continues.
Season Totals (through Feb. 14)
Overall Record: 10-14
RSC Record: 7-7
Points per game: 75.1
Rebounds per game: 34.6
Assists per game: 15.7
Field-goal percentage: 46.5
Three-point percentage: 35.2
Free-throw percentage: 71.3
Team Leaders (season averages)
Scoring: Brandon Moore – 16.2 ppg
Rebounding: Ian Goings – 5.8 rpg
Assists: Cole Chapman – 4.2 apg
What's Next
WVU Tech continues River States Conference play next week as the Golden Bears look to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
