GLENVILLE, W. Va. – Junior guard Patrick Wilburn sealed the game with a pair of foul shots with seven seconds remaining as Davis & Elkins held off Glenville State for a gutsy 81-78 road win against the Pioneers on Saturday afternoon inside the Waco Center.
 
Phil Bledsoe's desperation attempt did not go with one second remaining and Wilburn secured the final defensive rebound for the Senators.
 
Erkam Kiris paced D&E with a team-high 19 points and eight rebounds and senior guard Donte Doleman added 17 points and two rebounds in 38 minutes. Myles Monroe sparked the Senators with 14 points in 34 minutes, adding seven rebounds in an all-around effort.
 
Glenville State placed three players with 20 points or more, including 21 from Hegel Augustin and 20 each from Steven Verplancken and Phil Bledsoe.
 
Davis & Elkins shot a blistering 53.1% from the floor as a team and posted an 18-3 advantage in bench points.
 
THE RUNDOWN

• Davis & Elkins (7-19, 5-15 MEC) – 81
• Glenville State (13-13, 10-10 MEC) – 78
• Waco Center – Glenville, W. Va.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Consecutive Glenville treys pushed the hosts to an early 8-2 lead before the Senators scored nine of the next 12 points to tie the game at 11. Temmu Tumanoff canned a three and Kyle Leslie followed suit as the D&E bench brought the Senators back even. Tumanoff raced ahead for a layup off a feed from Mandela Baledrokadroka for a two-point lead at 13-11.
• Neither side could separate itself more than a few possessions for the next several minutes, trading buckets before Tyler Twyman tied the contest at 23 with a three. The Pioneers regained the lead back on the next possession, remaining in front until a pair of Kiris foul shots moved D&E in front, 32-31, with 2:43 showing on the first half clock.
• Baledrokadroka made a timely three in response to a Noah Frampton trey, proving to be the final basket at the half at 1:46.
• Things remained close to begin the second half as the teams traded blows. Doleman moved the Senators in front at 15:51 and three made foul shots from Kiris and Baledrokadroka moved the advantage to six points at 51-46.
• Bledsoe tied the game at 55 and Glenville moved in front until an and-one layup from Monroe at 7:42 shifted momentum back in the Senators' favor. D&E did not trail the rest of the afternoon, converting at the foul line for the win.  

 
GAME NOTES

• Two of the Senators last three wins this season have come against Glenville State.
• The Senators held a 35-18 edge in the paint.
• Kiris led the team in scoring for the fourth time this season and second straight game.
• The Senators snapped a seven-game losing streak with the victory on Saturday.
• The combined margin of victory for D&E against Glenville State has been just nine points this season. 

 
UP NEXT

• Davis & Elkins is set for the final week of the regular season, beginning with a road matchup against Frostburg State on Wednesday, February 26 at 7:30 PM.

 

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