The University of Charleston and West Virginia State men's basketball teams go another round with the nation's No. 7 team this weekend, both trying to land the one blow for the upset they couldn't muster the first time around.
The Yellow Jackets (6-17, 4-14 Mountain East Conference) visit seventh-ranked Fairmont State at 7:30 p.m. today, with a trip to Shepherd at 4 p.m. Saturday. The Golden Eagles (13-11, 10-8) start their road swing at 7:30 tonight in Shepherdstown, then get their game at Fairmont State at 4 p.m. Saturday.
The Falcons (21-3, 15-3) swept both games in their Kanawha Valley visit, but neither was easy for a team that, at that time, was ranked No. 3 in Division II. Charleston led Fairmont State by five points with 2:11 left in their Jan. 10 game, but a Jamel Thomas 3-pointer with 4 seconds left allowed the Falcons to escape with a 66-65 win.
In Institute on Jan. 12, Fairmont State watched a 14-point lead shrink to just three points with 2:49 left, but the Yellow Jackets could get no closer, ultimately falling 98-90. Those two games did not comprise one of Falcons coach Jarrod Calhoun's favorite visits.
"This trip has been a nightmare for our program, to be honest with you," Calhoun said after beating WVSU. "We had taken 25 steps forward as a program. We probably took 20 steps back in 48 hours."
The Falcons have stumbled a couple of times since then, falling to Wheeling Jesuit and West Liberty, the current No. 2 and No. 3 teams in Division II, respectively. Yet they have won their last two, averaging 105 points in victories over Urbana and Notre Dame. Southern Mississippi transfer Matt Bingaya leads the way, averaging 19.6 points and 7.3 rebounds.
The Golden Eagles should have a less difficult time with Shepherd. UC beat the Rams 76-51 on Jan. 12 in Charleston and led by as many as 31 in that game. It could be a different story for the Yellow Jackets, who fell 94-81 to Shepherd on Jan. 10 at the Walker Convocation Center. The Rams (13-11, 8-10) have rebounded from a three-game losing streak to win their last two over Notre Dame and Urbana.
For the Golden Eagles to end this road trip happy, they'll need to find their footing on offense. At Glenville State, a team UC beat by 22 in Charleston, the Golden Eagles made just 4 of 21 shots from the floor in the first half and could not recover, losing 72-62 Saturday in a game they never led.
A successful road trip for the Yellow Jackets would mean improved defensive play. West Virginia Wesleyan scored just 34 points against Charleston, but beat WVSU 76-58, including 30 points and 14 rebounds from Tanner McGrew. The Yellow Jackets rank 10th in the 12-team MEC in points allowed, giving up 89.3 per game.