INSTITUTE, W.VA. – The Chowan University men's basketball team closed out the 2025 calendar year on a high note, earning a 66–61 road victory over West Virginia State University on Wednesday afternoon. The Hawks set the tone early by leading the scoring for much of the first half, then maintained control down the stretch to hold off the Yellow Jackets in the second half.
With the win, Chowan improves to 6-7 overall and remains 4-1 in Conference Carolinas play.
THE BASICS
FINAL | Chowan 66, West Virginia State 61
RECORDS | Chowan (6-7, 4-1) , West Virginia State(4-6,1-3)
LOCATION | Institute, W.Va. (Walker Convocation Center)
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Chowan opened the scoring and quickly built momentum, using a 15-point run to take a 19–8 lead over West Virginia State 11 minutes into the first half. The Yellow Jackets responded with a late surge, edging ahead by one point with under a minute remaining. West Virginia State then went to the free-throw line in the closing seconds, knocking down a pair to take a 31–28 lead into the break.
The Hawks came out of halftime strong, scoring first as the two teams traded baskets over the opening four minutes of the second half. Chowan then gained control, applying offensive pressure and capitalizing on West Virginia State's miss cues. The Hawks pushed their lead to as many as six points with just over 12 minutes remaining. Although the Yellow Jackets tried to fight back and even tied the game, Chowan sealed the victory in the final minutes. The Hawks converted four consecutive attempts to secure the 66–61 win.
Damerius Summers led all scorers with 26 points, including 14 in the first half. He was dominant in the paint, shooting 9-15 from the field, going 7-8 at the free-throw line, and knocking down 50 percent from three-point range. Summers added six rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in 23 minutes of action.
Joseph Lezeau II came into the game and made an immediate impact, finishing with 12 points on 5-8 shooting, including 50 percent from beyond the arc. He also recorded eight rebounds, two blocks, and a free throw. Martinie Kamga delivered an efficient outing, scoring six points on a perfect 2-2 shooting from the field and the foul line while pulling down six rebounds.
William Hynes and Markell Hollis each chipped in five points. Hynes grabbed six defensive rebounds, handed out two assists, and recorded a block, while Hollis added two blocks, a steal, and an assist. Israel Powell and Damien Robinson were instrumental defensively, with Powell tallying five defensive rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. Robinson led the Hawks with 12 rebounds—eight defensive—while also contributing two assists, two steals, and a block.
UP NEXT
Chowan returns to action in the new year on Saturday, January 3, traveling to Rome, Georgia, for a Conference matchup against Shorter University. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM.
