WHEELING, W.Va. -- The 11th-ranked and second-seeded Fairmont State University men's basketball faced Point Park University in the MEC Tournament quarterfinals. The Falcons were able to pull away from the Pioneers for a 68-55 win.

"Good win, a really good win," head coach Tim Koenig said after the game. "You saw how good those guys were but we mixed our defenses really well. The guys made plays and a really good win."

Andre Harris and David Jolinder led the Falcons with 12 points each. Jolinder added five rebounds and two assists to his totals while Harris was 6-6 from the charity stripe with four boards and three assists.

The game started with Point Park (11-19) scoring the games first five points before David Jolinder got Fairmont State (25-4) on the board. A slow, defensive struggle between the two squads as it took the first seven minutes to get into double figures.

Down by a single point, the Falcons started to get some offensive rhythm with nine-straight points to lead 20-12 with 7:21 left in the first half. All nine came from behind the arc from Tyheil Peterson, Anthony Spatafore and Rudy Fitzgibbons. 

Over the final portion of the half, FSU maintained the advantage as the Pioneers managed to narrow the cut it to a single possession on several occasions. In the final minute, the Falcons were able to expand the lead and by the horn, led 32-27 going to the locker room.

The difference stayed about the same until Fairmont State scored seven-consecutive points. Sam Emich started the run with a three before Harris and Fitzgibbons made a couple of layups. 

Working with the lead, the Falcons held up the strong defensive pressure while also answering any offensive production by Point Park. With about five minutes left in regulation, FSU was able to stretch the lead out to 22 (63-41). The Pioneers made a late run but time expired as the Falcons claimed the 13-point victory to advance to the semifinals.

From the floor, the Falcons were an even 50-percent (25-50) and scored 32 points in the paint. On defense, the team forced 17 turnovers and converted them into 20 points.

"Communication is key in that (about defense)," Sam Emich mentioned after the game. "When we weren't communicating, it was tough but when we were, it was real hard to score against us."

"I thought we took what they gave us honestly," Andre Harris added. "Open threes, layups, we didn't really force anything and it showed."

Fairmont State will now face the sixth-seeded Glenville State Pioneers on Saturday, March 8 in the semifinals. Start time is set for 8:30 p.m.