By Duane Cochran for FightingFalcons.com

FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Fairmont State used an 11-0 run during a two-minute span midway through the second half to separate itself from visiting Slippery Rock en route to an 85-78 victory at the annual Joe Retton Classic on Dan Cava Court at the Joe Retton Arena Saturday evening.
 
The win improved Fairmont State to 2-0 on the season. Slippery Rock fell to 1-1 with the loss.
 
The contest, which featured 13 lead changes and 10 ties, was tight for the first 26 minutes with neither team holding more than a five-point advantage. However, with 13:44 left to play Fairmont, led by junior guard Cole VonHandorf and redshirt freshman guard Dale Bonner, exerted its will on The Rock and reeled off 11 unanswered points to open a 12-point, 67-55, advantage with 11:45 remaining. After that Fairmont never trailed again.
 
VonHandorf, who finished with a team-high 23 points and five assists, scored five points on the game-changing run, while Bonner, who finished with 12 points and four assists, tallied four of his points during that span.
 
Led by Will Robinson Jr. and Jared Armstrong, Slippery Rock rallied and trimmed the margin to two at 71-69 with three minutes remaining, but once again VonHandorf keyed a 7-0 Fairmont State spurt with four straight points to help his team push the margin back to nine with 1:46 left to play.
 
Fairmont then secured its second win of the season by going 7-of-12 at the foul line in the game's final 52 seconds.
 
Fairmont, which outscored Slippery Rock in the paint 32-14, shot 43.8 percent from the field (28-of-64), including an 8-of-25 showing from 3-point range. The Falcons lost the battle on the boards to SRU 39-37, but out-rebounded The Rock on the offensive glass 11-6 and turned those into 15 second-chance points.
 
Fairmont State's defense also forced 15 Slippery Rock turnovers and cashed in for 18 points off of those miscues.
 
All five starters for the Falcons finished in double figures in the scoring column led by VonHandorf's 23 points. Redshirt freshman center Seth Younkin had a career-high 14 points and six rebounds, four of which came on the offensive glass, while Bonner and Isaiah Sanders chipped in 12 points apiece. Kenzie Melko-Marshall finished with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds for Fairmont State.
 
Slippery Rock, which shot 46.4 percent from the field (26-of-56), including an 11-of-23 performance from long range (47.8 percent), was led by Robinson Jr.'s game-high 38 points and 12 rebounds. Armstrong added 25 points for The Rock. They were the lone SRU players to reach double figures in the scoring column.
 
Fairmont State returns to action Friday, Nov. 15 when it tangles with NCAA Division I Bowling Green University on the road in Ohio in an exhibition game at 11 a.m.
 
The Falcons next actual game will be Saturday, Nov. 23 at home on Dan Cava Court in the Joe Retton Arena against Davis and Elkins College at 4 p.m. That contest will be the Mountain East Conference opener for the Falcons.