WHEELING, W.Va. – Zyon Dobbs scored a career-high 29 points to lead the Fairmont State (23-6) men's basketball team to a gritty 77-72 win in the Mountain East Quarterfinal Game over Glenville State (17-13) on Friday (March 3) at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va.
"I was able to take advantage of driving lanes to the basket," said Dobbs. "We came in with a different gameplan and we were ready."
Dobbs was 11-of-18 on field goal attempts, which included a pair of shots from beyond the arc. He pulled down 11 rebounds to collect his third double-double of the season. The senior guard chipped in two assists and a steal to wrap up his final totals.
Briggs Parris came off the bench and drilled four crucial three-pointers to aid the Fairmont State scoring effort. The graduate senior from Boones, Mill, Va. added a season-high 21 points in the contest and was a key perimeter threat.
"When you get swept by a team in the regular season, you're ready to play," said Parris. "Our intensity today and all throughout the week was 'Let's rebound'."
The Pioneers outrebounded the Falcons by 10 in the first half. Fairmont State won the rebounding margin by seven in the final half to prevent multiple scoring opportunities for GSU.
"We did so much better on the boards in the second half," remarked Fairmont State head coach
Tim Koenig. "That really changed the game."
Isaiah Sanders and
Seth Younkin both hauled in seven rebounds to assist the rebounding effort for the Falcons. Sanders was the third Falcon in double figures with 17 points. The All-MEC First Team honoree drew a game-high six fouls in the physical battle.
"They [Glenville State] played Zay [
Isaiah Sanders] physically," said Dobbs. "Their defense was on our shooters."
Dobbs banked in a three before the shot clock expired on the Falcons' first possession of the game. He cashed in two shots from the line to even the score at five with 16:43 to go. The Pioneers seized the lead with four-straight points. Fairmont State regained the lead after a 5-0 run that featured free throws by Woody and Parris' first longball of the afternoon. GSU's lead grew to seven points after a 6-0 GSU run put the Pioneers ahead 27-20 with 5:08 left in the half.
A Dobbs layup and a Sanders triple cut the deficit to two points with 4:23 on the clock. Glenville State's lead increased to 10 points at 2:46 in the first half. The Falcons closed the first half on an 8-1 run following a layup and a deep three-pointer by Parris. Dobbs and Parris both converted shots in the last 1:15 and Fairmont State trailed by a pair of points at the half.
After the Pioneers took a six-point lead, Fairmont State roared back with a 7-0 run to take the lead. Dobbs sparked the run with a mid-range jump shot and Parris scored his 13
th point of the game on a three-pointer. Younkin made two free throws and the Falcons led 41-40 with 17:51 to go. Fairmont State extended its lead to four after Dobbs cashed in a three-pointer and a driving layup. GSU evened the score at 47 at the first media timeout of the second half.
With the Pioneers ahead by one point, the Falcons countered with a 7-0 run.
Tariq Woody began the scoring spree with a field goal and Sanders flipped an offensive rebound to Parris beyond the arc to put Fairmont State ahead by four. Dobbs scored his 20
th point of the afternoon with a layup to put the Falcons ahead 54-48 with 13:26 to go. Dobbs knocked down two free throws and Sanders finished a layup to put Fairmont State up by 10 points with under 10 minutes remaining in the half.
GSU fought back with seven-straight points to trim the deficit to one possession and force a Fairmont State timeout. Out of the timeout, Sanders scored and Dobbs completed an old-fashioned three-point play to put the Falcons ahead by eight with less than eight minutes on the clock. After the Fairmont State defense forced a shot clock violation, Sanders powered his way to the rim and got a bucket with a foul. He swished the bonus free throw and the Falcons led by 11 points. GSU managed to cut the Fairmont State lead to five points two times with less than five minutes on the clock and pulled within four points with 12 seconds left. The Falcons fended off the GSU comeback and prevailed, 77-72 in the MEC Quarterfinals.
"I am proud of our guys' preparation," said Koenig. "I was proud of the team's ability to move on to the next play. That shows the growth and maturity of this team."
The Fairmont State men's basketball team advances to the MEC Semifinal round, which will be played tomorrow (March 4) at 8:30 p.m. inside WesBanco Arena. The Falcons will meet the winner of the Charleston/Davis & Elkins matchup on Saturday for a spot in the MEC Championship Game.
