Alex Falk scored a game-high 21 points and Tim Hausfeld came off the bench to add 18 more as the Hilltoppers (24-0, 20-0) upped their West Virginia Conference winning streak to 38 games with a 94-78 victory against arch nemesis West Virginia State.

West Liberty head coach Jim Crutchfield was pleased with the production he received from the two sophomores, especially at the opposite end of the floor.

“I thought Alex and Tim both played really well tonight,” Crutchfield said, “but it wasn't their scoring that impressed me as much as their defense. In the second half especially, they forced some turnovers in the half-court that resulted in some transition opportunities for us. That really helped us open things up.”

The Yellowjackets (15-8, 14-5) were the only league team to beat the Hilltoppers last season – pulling out an overtime nod during the regular season and eking out a 1-point decision in the WVIAC Tournament title tilt – and gave the hosts all they could handle in the early going.

Borrowing a page from West Liberty's book, State drained four of its first six 3-point shots and jumped out to a 22-13 lead at 13:45 of the first half.

That was the Hilltoppers' largest deficit of the season but it didn't last long as the WLU seniors took a turn in the spotlight.

West Liberty forged a 28-28 tie on a Barry Shetzer 3-pointer with 8:29 on the clock and took their first lead since the opening minutes, 34-32, when Falk laid one in off an in-bounds play at 6:53. 

Todd Hutchinson tied it for State with a pair of free throws but Shetzer buried another 3-pointer on a dazzling assist from Corey Pelle at 5:44 and West Liberty was ahead to stay.

Trailing 47-40 at halftime, State managed to stay in contact for the first few minutes of the second half before the Hilltoppers came up with a pair of their patented scoring bursts.

A 10-2 run bookended by 3-pointers from Hausfeld and senior Jordan Fortney produced the game's first double-digit lead, 66-52, with 12:27 remaining.

The Yellowjackets closed the gap to 71-63 when Robbie Lewis muscled inside for a layup at 9:11 but a spinning layup by Hausfeld sparked a 14-0 burst over the next three minutes that put the game away.

Another Fortney 3-pointer – off a steal by Hausfeld – gave West Liberty a 20-point lead, 83-63, with 6:47 to go. A technical foul on the West Virginia State coach sent Hausfeld to the line for two more free throws and the biggest lead of the night, 85-63, with 6:38 remaining.

It was the final regular-season home game for seniors Fortney, Pelle, Shetzer and John Wolosinczuk, who were honored in a pre-game ceremony. The four seniors have combined for more than 5,000 career points and led West Liberty to a 99-16 record during their varsity tenure.

“This was a great way for our seniors to go out,” Crutchfield said. “It was a terrific atmosphere with the crowd and a win over a big rival. They've been great ambassadors for the university and our basketball program over the years and I couldn't be prouder of them.”

Fortney and Shetzer joined Falk and Hausfeld in double-figures with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Josh Miller led State with 21 points while Bo King added 20 in a losing cause.

West Liberty hits the road again Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. game at Glenville State.