FAIRMONT, W.Va. – George Mangas finished with a career-high 33 points and
Zyon Dobbs recorded a double-double in points (13) and assists (11) as the Fairmont State men's basketball team (15-4, 10-3 Mountain East Conference) secured an overtime win over No. 24 West Virginia State (15-4, 9-4 MEC) on Wednesday (Jan. 25) at Joe Retton Arena in Fairmont, W.Va.
The Fighting Falcons led by as many as 21 points in the second half and West Virginia State roared back to tie the score and send the game into overtime. Fairmont State outscored the Yellow Jackets 11-4 in the overtime period to win its seventh-consecutive game.
Mangas made 13-of-20 shots from the field, including a trio of shots from beyond the arc. The Lima, Ohio native led Fairmont State with four steals and added eight rebounds to his final totals. Dobbs pulled down eight boards and swatted a block to go with his double-double.
Isaiah Sanders contributed 12 points and passed out four assists.
Briggs Parris manufactured 10 points and picked up a steal.
David Jolinder hustled for eight rebounds and chipped in five points.
With the game tied at 17,
Tariq Woody skipped a pass to a cutting Mangas who finished in the lane with an easy layup. On the ensuing Fairmont State possession, Dobbs found Sanders at the top of the key for a three-point basket to put the Fighting Falcons ahead 22-17. The Fairmont State offense got into transition after quickly clearing a WVSU missed basket and Dobbs delivered a pass to Mangas who drilled a triple that completed an 8-0 scoring run for the Falcons. A three from Sanders at 6:27 extended the Fighting Falcons' lead to double-digits for the first time in the contest. Mangas converted a pair of layups to close out the first-half scoring for Fairmont State and the Falcons led by 10 points at the break.
The strong shooting for Fairmont State continued early in the second half, as the Fighting Falcons amassed seven-straight points to start the period. Hale forced a steal and made a pull-up three at the other end. Dobbs made a second-chance jump shot and Sanders found Mangas for a layup that completed the run at the 17:24 mark. A layup from Parris, a dunk from Jolinder and a jump shot from Dobbs put Fairmont State ahead by 21 points with 10:42 remaining in the half. WVSU responded with a six-point run that trimmed the Fairmont State lead back down to 15 points. The Yellow Jackets climbed back into the game after draining three-straight shots from deep and trailed by six points with 3:25 left in regulation. WVSU managed to cut the Fairmont State lead to two points with 1:59 on the clock. Dobbs found Mangas in the corner for a triple and Mangas was fouled on the shot. He completed the four-point play at the line to increase Fairmont State's lead back to six points with 91 seconds remaining. WVSU hit a pair of threes in 40 seconds of game time to even the score at 74 with 41 seconds to go. Neither team scored in the final seconds of regulation and an additional five minutes were needed to decide a winner.
WVSU jumped out to a two-point lead in overtime with 3:14 on the clock. Dobbs scored on consecutive possessions to put Fairmont State in the lead, 80-78. The Fairmont State defense continued to shut down the Yellow Jackets' attack in overtime and held WVSU scoreless in the final three minutes of OT. Sanders, Jolinder and Parris drained five free throws at the line in the waning moments of overtime. Fairmont State held on for an 85-78 overtime victory at Joe Retton Arena.
The Fairmont State men's basketball team is set to travel south to Charleston for a matchup with the Golden Eagles on Saturday (Jan. 28) at 4 p.m.
