WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – After winning its fourth consecutive NCAA Division II Atlantic Region title on the road last year, No. 5-ranked West Liberty will be opening its title defense in the friendly confines of the ASRC on Saturday night.
That's when Coach Jim Crutchfield's top-seeded Hilltoppers (26-3) take on No. 8 seed Livingstone, N.C. (19-9), the Cinderella entry in this year's Atlantic Region field. This will be the Blue Bears' third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and it's the second straight year they've upset their way into the field by winning the CIAA Tournament to snag that league's automatic bid.
West Liberty was ranked No. 1 in every set of Atlantic Regional rankings throughout the year while Livingstone never cracked the regional Top 10 but the Blue Bears served notice a year ago that they aren't making these long drives north just to enjoy the scenery.
Coach James Stinson's squad found itself with a similar quarterfinal matchup a year ago when it had to face No. 2-ranked East Stroudsburg on the Warriors' home court in their regional opener. In a see-saw game featuring 8 ties and 9 lead changes, the Blue Bears rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half only to have a game-winning jumper rim out with 3 seconds to go, preserving a 99-98 win for the top-seeded hosts.
West Liberty, which hasn't played since being upset by eventual MEC Tournament champion Glenville State, 83-68, in an MEC Tournament semifinal, made a little history last year when the Black and Gold became the first team ever to win an Atlantic Region title on the road with an 89-82 victory against East Stroudsburg in the regional final.
That win upped WLU's record to an eye-popping 14-1 in Atlantic Region play but the ensuing Elite Eight run came up one agonizing win short at Central Missouri rallied to an 83-76 win in the national championship game at Evansville, Ind.
Crutchfield would like nothing better than a return trip to Evansville but even though that road once more leads through the ASRC – where WLU is a perfect 11-0 in regional play – there are plenty of potential roadblocks along the way.
Much like Livingstone, there's a déjà vu quality to this year's regional bid for West Liberty.
Last year's Hilltoppers were also upset, 63-60, in the championship game of the MEC Tournament but bounced back to win their fourth straight regional title and then won a pair of tough games at the Elite Eight to earn their first-ever berth in the national championship game.
There's a strong nucleus returning from that squad, headed by MEC and Atlantic Region Player of the Year Seger Bonifant. The 6-7 junior led the MEC in scoring (23.4 ppg.), 3-point field goals (107), 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. Three-time Academic All-American and 2-time All-Region and All-MEC standout C.J. Hester lends a steadying senior presence and is a force to be reckoned with in the paint, despite standing just 6-4. Hester is scoring at a 15.0 ppg. and is the team's leading rebounder for the fourth straight year at 8.5 per game. He will be playing in a school-record 132nd career game. He is 10th on WLU all-time scoring list (1,812) and the only West Liberty player ever to pass the 1,000-rebound career milestone (1,131). Devin Hoehn, a 6-0 sophomore guard and another All-MEC pick, is the team's second-leading scorer (15.1 ppg.) while 6-4 senior Indiana Faithfull (9.1 ppg.) leads the team with 133 assists and 69 steals. Joe Lococo (8.1 ppg.), a 6-3 junior transfer from Shippensburg, rounds out the starting lineup. Livingstone, coming off a dominant run through the CIAA Tournament which saw the Blue Bears reel off three straight double-digit wins, features a balanced attack with four double-figure scorers – three of whom were All-CIAA honorees.
Eric Dubose, a 6-1 junior guard, is the team's leading scorer at 14.7 ppg. but there's plenty of firepower behind him in fellow All-CIAA picks Hakeem Jackson (14.4 ppg.) – a 6-9 senior transfer from NCAA Division I Iona – and Eric Mayo (13.9 ppg.) – a 6-4 senior forward who transferred from Winston-Salem State. Ty Newman, a 6-4 junior guard and another Division I drop-down (Maryland-Eastern Shore) is scoring at a 14.0 ppg. pace off the bench.
Dwight Williams, a 6-7 transfer from UNC-Greensboro, and Juwan Cole, a 5-10 junior point guard who came to Livingstone from the University of Southern Maryland, round out the starting lineup.
Action gets under way at noon Saturday with No. 3 seed Indiana (Pa.) battling No. 6 seed Glenville State. The afternoon session concludes with a 2:30 p.m. game between No. 2 seed Gannon (23-8) and No. 7 seed Slippery Rock (20-10). West Liberty and Livingstone open the evening session at 6 p.m. with No. 4 seed Fairmont State and No. 5 seed Mercyhurst bringing down the curtain on the quarterfinals with an 8:30 p.m. tipoff.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
NCAA Division II Men's Atlantic Region Tournament
(at West Liberty, W.Va.)
Saturday, March 14
Regional Quarterfinals
Afternoon Session
No. 3 Indiana, Pa. (26-6) vs. No. 6 Glenville State (22-10), Noon
No. 2 Gannon, Pa. (23-8) vs. No. 7 Slippery Rock, Pa. (20-10), 2:30 p.m.
Evening Session
No. 1 WEST LIBERTY (26-3) vs. No. 8 Livingstone, N.C. (19-9), 6 p.m.
No. 4 Fairmont State (21-10) vs. No. 5 Mercyhurst, Pa. (20-8), 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 15
Regional Semifinals
Indiana/Glenville winner vs. Gannon/Slippery Rock winner, 5 p.m.
WEST LIBERTY/Livingstone winner vs. Fairmont/Mercyhurst winner, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 17
Regional Championship
Sunday's winners, 7 p.m.
