FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Following a standout freshman season for the Fairmont State men's basketball team, it didn't take Jason Jolly long to set a new career-high this season to help Fairmont State to an 88-76 victory over Clarion to open the 2016-17 season on day one of the Joe Retton Classic, presented by McDonald's.
 
Jolly finished the evening with 25 points, going 7-of-13 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line, nailing a trio of three-pointers. Jolly also passed out three assists and recorded two steals.
 
The Falcons had a total of four players reach double-figures with Vonte Montgomery (17), Caleb Davis (13) and Andrew Emrick (10) joining Jolly in double-digit scoring. Montgomery went 7-of-12 from the field, nailing a trio of three-pointers in the FSU victory. Davis was also very consistent from the field, making 6-of-8 field goal attempts and pulling down seven boards.
 
Despite Thomas Wimbush being held to just two points, the senior pulled down 10 rebounds. Senior point guard Shammgod Wells also chipped in seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals in the victory.
 
The Falcons forced Clarion into 18 turnovers on the evening, scoring 23 points-off turnovers and 16 on the fast break.
 
Offensively, Fairmont State shot over 50 percent from the field (33-of-65) and held a 10-4 advantage in three-point field goals.
 
The Falcons led by as many as 18 points at the 17:04 mark of the second half before the Golden Eagles chipped away at Fairmont's lead and reduced the double-digit lead to just seven with 3:43 remaining in the game. However, a layup by Emrick and a three by Montgomery on consecutive possessions pushed Fairmont's advantage back to double-digits quickly. Clarion shot 58.6 percent from the field in the second half, compared to just 32 percent in the opening half.
 
Jamani Pierce and BJ Andrews each recorded 20-point scoring performances to lead Clarion on the evening.
 
Fairmont State will now prepare for a matchup with Bowie State on Saturday evening starting at 7 p.m. at Joe Retton Arena. The Bulldogs also opened the season with a victory on Friday over West Virginia Wesleyan, 59-52, in the nightcap of the Joe Retton Classic.