PITTSBURGH – Kaden Warner scored 30 points to help Point Park rally past West Virginia State, 76-75, on Saturday afternoon at CCAC. The Pioneers made 15 3-pointers in the victory.
After trailing by as many as seven on three occasions early in the second half, Point Park used an 8-2 run that was capped by a
Nick Marshall layup at the 4:04 mark to take the lead 72-71 on Saturday. The stretch was highlighted by an and-one, four-point play on a 3-pointer by Warner at the 5:55 mark.
West Virginia State regained a narrow lead until the :23-second mark when Warner hit both ends of a pair of free throws to put the Pioneers in front for good, 76-75.
On West Virginia State's next possession, the Yellow Jackets had three scoring opportunities with a jump shot by Nate Mims, a missed three by Jae Slack, and a turnover that eventually ended the possession with just 1.2 seconds remaining.
Following a Point Park timeout, the Pioneers went deep on the inbound pass and the clock expired to preserve the 76-75 victory.
In all, the game featured seven ties and six lead changes.
Statistically, the game was evenly matched, with Point Park outshooting West Virginia State by just one percent (42.9%-41.2%). Both teams pulled down 40 rebounds.
Warner shot 9-of-20 from the field with seven 3-pointers and seven assists in the win.
Brenden Williams chipped in 18 points and seven boards, while
Nazareth Fisher recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Marshall also had a big day off the bench, scoring eight points for the Pioneers.
Jae Slack scored 20 points to lead West Virginia State, while Nate Mims chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds. Arthur Cox also had a big afternoon with 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.
The Pioneers (9-5, 4-4 MEC), winners of five of their last six games, will return to CCAC on Wednesday afternoon to take on Fairmont State. Tip is set for 3 p.m.
