FAIRMONT, W. Va. — No. 17 Fairmont State pulled away late to defeat Davis & Elkins, 90-72, in a Mountain East Conference men's basketball matchup Wednesday night at Joe Retton Arena.

The Senators stayed within striking distance for much of the contest and briefly took the lead early in the second half, but the Falcons used a decisive run down the stretch to secure the conference victory.

Davis & Elkins trailed 44-39 at halftime before opening the second half with strong energy. Nnadozie Okoroji scored seven of his game-high 23 points during a stretch that helped the Senators grab a 61-60 lead with 10:50 remaining. Fairmont State responded with back-to-back three-pointers to regain momentum and later extended the advantage to double digits.

Okoroji finished 8-of-13 from the field and knocked down seven three-pointers to lead D&E. Vegas Evans added 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, while Noah Adamczyk chipped in 13 points and four assists.

Fairmont State placed five players in double figures, led by Miguel Martinez and Drey Carter with 22 and 21 points, respectively. The Falcons shot 47.9 percent from the floor and held a 41-30 rebounding edge.

Davis & Elkins falls to 6-11 overall and 3-7 in MEC play, while Fairmont State improves to 14-3 overall and 8-2 in conference action.

The Senators return to the road Saturday, Jan. 24, traveling to Buckhannon, W. Va., for a 4 p.m. Mountain East Conference matchup at West Virginia Wesleyan.