ELKINS, W.Va. — The Davis & Elkins College men's basketball team used a strong second-half surge to pull away from West Virginia State University for an 88-70 Mountain East Conference victory Wednesday night inside the McDonnell Center.

With the win, Davis & Elkins improved to 8-17 overall and 5-11 in MEC play, while West Virginia State fell to 7-18 overall and 3-14 in conference action.

After leading 40-36 at halftime, the Senators broke open a tightly contested game midway through the second half. Holding a slim 46-43 edge, D&E went on a 16-5 run capped by a 3-pointer from Malachi Hampton and back-to-back inside finishes from Vegas Evans to extend the lead to double digits. The Yellow Jackets would get no closer than nine the rest of the way.

Evans delivered a dominant performance, finishing with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting while pulling down 15 rebounds for a double-double. He also added two blocks and was a key presence on the defensive glass.

Hampton added 15 points and 11 rebounds for his own double-double, highlighted by a second-half dunk. Matthew Gray chipped in 13 points, knocking down two 3-pointers and going 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.

Jeremiah Whitmore provided a spark off the bench with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including three second-half 3-pointers. Tristan Starks added nine points and three assists, while Davon Cobbs and Nnadozie Okoroji each finished with five points.

As a team, the Senators shot 44.3 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc, improving to 50 percent from 3-point range in the second half. D&E also controlled the glass, outrebounding West Virginia State 42-35 and turning 19 second-chance points into a key advantage. The Senators' bench contributed 29 points in the win.

West Virginia State was led by Trey Harris and Jaylen Subject, who each scored 21 points. Blake Goodman added 10 points for the Yellow Jackets.

Davis & Elkins returns to action Saturday, Feb. 21, traveling to face the University of Charleston at 7:30 p.m. in Mountain East Conference play.