West Virginia Wesleyan men's basketball snap four-game skid with Salem, Point Park wins

The Bobcats showed marked improvement on defense and outperformed its season average on the glass with 47 total boards, including 17 offensive rebounds while Salem comparatively finished with 31 rebounds.

Alex Mirhosseini led all scorers with 19 points and added four assists, nine rebounds, and a blocked shot. Mirhosseini remains fifth in the MEC with a 17.2 points-per-game average. Anthony Crosby contributed 18 points, one assist, and six rebounds, while Stephen Ovia added 12 points, one assist, and six rebounds.

Salem's Jack Garrison IV had a team-high 18 points, three assists, and two rebounds. Daquan Coleman added 14 points and two rebounds.

Returning to action on Saturday, the Bobcats built a commanding lead before fending off a late surge from Point Park to secure an 82-79 victory.

Curtis Litton, typically a presence in the paint, found success from beyond the arc, hitting 5-of-6 three-pointers en route to a team-high 20 points, two rebounds, and an assist. Ovia contributed 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, adding three rebounds, two assists, and a blocked shot. Mirhosseini and Crosby each had 13 points.

Mirhosseini collected four rebounds and nine assists. Crosby went 3-of-6 from the field, added 6-of-8 from the free-throw line, and tallied seven rebounds, four assists, and a blocked shot.

The Pioneers' Kaden Warner led all scorers with 24 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. Aiden Miller posted a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

West Virginia Wesleyan effectively utilized the full-court press in the first half, forcing 17 Pioneer turnovers that led to 18 points. The Bobcats entered halftime with a 49-32 lead and extended their advantage to as many as 23 points with 10:31 remaining. However, a series of three-pointers by Miller cut the deficit to eight with 5:38 left. Brenden Williams brought Point Park within a point with a late fastbreak layup, but Wesleyan held on for the win as time expired.

The West Virginia Wesleyan men's basketball team (5-15) will have an opportunity to build on its current two-game win streak hosting Wheeling on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Rockefeller Center.