ELKINS, W.Va. — Davis & Elkins opened Mountain East Conference play on Wednesday night by going toe-to-toe with No. 10 Fairmont State through a competitive first half, but the Falcons pulled away late to hand the Senators a 93–79 loss at the McDonnell Center.

D&E (2–5, 0–1 MEC) traded baskets early, using ball movement and perimeter shooting to stay level with one of the top-ranked teams in the country. The Senators knocked down timely threes and forced several turnovers to keep the pace tight, trailing only 40–37 at the half after a last-minute Fairmont basket.

Matthew Gray led the Senators with 22 points, hitting four threes and attacking the lane in a strong all-around outing. Nnadozie Okoroji added 13 points and five rebounds, giving D&E another efficient scoring option while controlling the offensive glass.

Tristan Starks provided nine points on three made threes and added four assists, while Noah Adamczyk steadied the offense with eight points and a team-high seven assists. Dontrell Jenkins filled the stat sheet with four points, four assists and four steals before fouling out, and Vegas Evans added four points with active perimeter defense.

D&E hit 11 three-pointers and forced 12 steals but couldn't slow down Fairmont State's second-half surge as the Falcons regained momentum out of the break.

The Senators continue their homestand on Saturday, Dec. 6, hosting Frostburg State at 4 p.m. at the McDonnell Center.