FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- The 13th-ranked Fairmont State university men's basketball team squared off against West Virginia Wesleyan College. The Falcons pulled away from the Bobcats early to win 96-66.

Andre Harris paced the team with 19 points while grabbing six rebounds and picking up four steals. Tyheil Peterson added 17 points, shooting 6-8 from the field and 4-6 from three-point range.

Fairmont State (23-4, 16-3) started the game hot with the opening eight points including threes by Rudy Fitzgibbons and Sam Emich. West Virginia Wesleyan (5-22, 2-17) trimmed the lead to six as it remained there until the 13-minute mark. The Falcons went on an 8-0 run capped off by a Tommy Williams three. 

Leading by 14 (25-11), the hosts maintained the double-digit lead for the remainder of the half. As the horn sounded, FSU led 41-26 going into the locker room.

The start of the second half saw the Bobcats open with a 9-2 run as the difference was just eight (43-35). The three ball started to fall for Fairmont State as the team went on a 14-2 stretch with four three-point makes. Tyheil Peterson hit back-to-back threes that gave FSU a 57-37 edge and forced a timeout by the visitors. 

With the game well under control, the Falcons did not let the lead drop below 16 points. In fact, the hosts were able to grow the advantage that eventually led to the 30-point victory. 

On the night, David Jolinder and Sam Emich each finished with double-digit point totals with 14 and 13, respectively. The Falcons scored 40 points in the paint and capitalized on second chance opportunities with 22 points. Of the 26 turnovers committed by the visitors, FSU tallied 18 steals and turned them into 35 points.

Fairmont State heads to Frostburg State University on Saturday, March 1 for the final matchup of the regular season. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m.