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Hilltoppers Tip Off Saturday at Noon

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Men's Basketball | 3/7/2017 1:45:00 PM

FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The West Liberty University men's basketball team opens defense of its NCAA Division II Atlantic Region championship at noon Saturday when Coach Jim Crutchfield's Hilltoppers take on Ohio County rival Wheeling Jesuit at Joe Retton Arena on the campus of Fairmont State University.
Starting times for all regional games were determined during a conference call on Monday. Fairmont State is serving as regional host for the first time after being seeded No. 1 by the regional ranking committee.
It's the eighth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid for Crutchfield's Mountain East Conference Tournament champs. The defending regional champion Hilltoppers have won five of the last six regional titles, advanced to three of the last four NCAA Division II Final Fours and are shooting for their eighth straight trip to the Sweet 16.
This will be the third straight Saturday that No. 3 seed West Liberty (28-3) and the No. 6 seed Cardinals (23-7) have met on the hardwood and it's the fourth time this season. The Hilltoppers prevailed in two of those three meetings, including a 105-95 win in last week's MEC Tournament semifinal.
Shippensburg (26-3), which was awarded the No. 2 seed after winning the PSAC Tournament, closes out the afternoon session with a 2:30 p.m. game against No. 7 seed Virginia Union (22-7), which earned an at-large bid after being upset in the first round of last month's CIAA Tournament.
Host Fairmont State (29-2), who lost to West Liberty in Sunday's MEC Tournament final, opens the evening session as the No. 1 seed at 6 p.m. against No. 8 seed Bowie State (16-14), the CIAA Tournament champion. Perennial Atlantic Region power Indiana, Pa. (27-3) is the No. 4 seed and will close out the quarterfinal round against No. 5 seed Kutztown, Pa. (26-3) in an 8:30 p.m. battle of PSAC rivals.
Saturday's quarterfinal survivors advance to semifinal action at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. The Atlantic Region championship game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start on Tuesday.
A limited number of advance tickets have been set aside for Saturday's afternoon session behind the Hilltopper bench. Tickets are priced at $12 for adults and $6 for students with West Liberty IDs. 
The tickets will be on sale at the WLU Athletic Department on the fourth floor of the ASRC from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday. Tickets will also be available on Thursday at TJ's Sports Garden and Restaurant on National Road in Wheeling. Cash transactions only will be accepted.
The Fairmont State athletic department will have $35 all-session passes, $12 adult single-session and $6 children or senior citizen single-session tickets at the gate on Saturday.
The Atlantic Region champion advances to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, which is scheduled for March 22-25 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

NCAA Division II Men's Basketball
Atlantic Region Tournament
Saturday, March 11
Regional Quarterfinals
(at Fairmont, W.Va.)
No. 3 WEST LIBERTY (28-3) vs. No. 6 Wheeling Jesuit (23-7), Noon
No. 2 Shippensburg (26-3) vs. No. 7 Virginia Union (22-7), 2:30 p.m.
No. 1 Fairmont State (29-2) vs. No. 8 Bowie State (16-14), 6 p.m.
No. 4 Indiana, Pa. (27-3) vs. No. 5 Kutztown (26-3), 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 12
Regional Semifinals
(at Fairmont, W.Va.)
WEST LIBERTY/Wheeling Jesuit winner vs. Shippensburg/Virginia Union winner, 5 p.m.
Fairmont State/Bowie State winner vs. Indiana/Kutztown winner, 7:30 p.m. 
Tuesday, March 14
Regional Championship
(at Fairmont, W.Va.)
Sunday's winners, 7 p.m.
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