INSTITUTE, W.Va. - - A last second floater by sophomore forward Tajh Eason gave the Cavaliers an electrifying 83-81 win over West Virginia State University. The win places UVa-Wise at 3-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2002-2003 season.

The Cavs (4-4, 3-0 MEC) started out slow against the Yellow Jackets (4-3, 2-1 MEC), down 19-12 with 11:30 on the clock in the first half. Cavalier men leading scorer Taiwo Badmus, finished the first half with just seven points while assist leader Michal Seals had four points and two assists in the half.

UVa-Wise would trail the entire opening half, only able to get within two points, 33-31, at the 2:07 mark. The Cavaliers went into halftime down four points, 37-33, while shooting 14-for-33 (42.4 percent) from the field. UVa-Wise went 0-3 from beyond the arc with 24 rebounds while the Yellow Jackets managed to go just 14-for-36 from the field (38.9 percent), led by junior forward Pat Johnson-Agwu and senior forward Robert Fomby who both recorded nine points apiece going into the half.

Recently named as the Mountain East Conference Player of the Week, senior forward Badmus quickly proved why as he opened up the second half with three consecutive shots from downtown, giving the Cavaliers a 42-39 lead over West Virginia State with 18:11 left to play.

The Yellow Jackets Jeremiah Moore put the ball in the basket to tie the game up at 44-44 with 16:41 on the clock. Still on fire, Badmus banked back-to-back threes to put the Cavs up 10 points, 55-48, with a little over 12 minutes to go. Badmus would record for all six of the Cavaliers three-point field goals in the game with the London, England native going 6-for-7 from three-point range, 5-for-6 from the line, and 11-for-18 from the floor on the night.

Fouled on a tip-in at the 6:58 mark, Johnson-Agwu would turn it into a three-point play, hitting the free throw to put the Yellow Jackets within two, 70-68. West Virginia State's Jeremiah Moore tied the game up with a little over six minutes to go, 70-70.

The Yellow Jackets would take a 75-74 lead at 4:22, but Badmus would knock down another three to give the Cavaliers a two point lead, 77-75, with four minutes left in the game. Two free-throw shots by the redshirt senior forward would extend the Cavs lead to four, 79-75.

With the score at 81-77, West Virginia State's Johnson-Agwu managed to get two quick buckets to tie the game at 81-81 with 41 seconds left. The Cavaliers would attempt to take a two point lead as sophomore guard Chance Sheffey went in for a layup but it would not fall as the Yellow Jackets rebounded the ball. WVSU would then take their shot at a quick basket to put the Yellow Jackets ahead, but a tremendous defensive effort by forward Tajh Eason allowed the sophomore to get the steal and sink the game-winning floater at the buzzer, sealing the 83-81 victory over West Virginia State.

Eason finished the night with six points on 3-of-4 shooting while Chance Sheffey recorded a season-high eight rebounds alongside 14 points on the night. Badmus had a season-high 33 points and season-high 13 rebounds. Seals posted 10 points, six rebounds, and nine assists with sophomore forward Yesid Mosquera-Perea adding eight points and seven rebounds in the win.

West Virginia State went 32-for-81 (39.5 percent) from the field, going 7-for-25 from downtown. The Yellow Jackets were led by Johnson-Agwu who had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Fomby also recorded a double-double for West Virginia State, registering 19 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

The Cavaliers went 30-for-60 (50 percent) from the field, 6-for-10 (60 percent) from beyond the arc, and 17-for-21 (81 percent) from the line.

Cavalier men will return home to face the University of Charleston on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 4 p.m. inside the David J. Prior Convocation Center.