WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The University of Charleston forced overtime with a late 3-pointer and then went 8-for-8 from the foul line in the extra period to snap No. 2-ranked West Liberty's 13-game winning streak with an 88-87 overtime upset Saturday afternoon at the ASRC.
    Coach Ben Howlett's Hilltoppers (20-3, 16-2) seemed on the verge of putting the game on ice after a clutch 3-pointer from Eric Meininger gave WLU a 75-70 lead heading into the final minute of regulation.
    Charleston (17-7, 12-6) made it a one-possession game, 75-72, when Josh Floyd connected on both ends of a 1-and-1 with 51 ticks remaining and the visitors got one more chance when the Hilltoppers failed to convert at the other end.
    Coming out of a timeout, UC's Lamont McManus found Drew Rackley curling off a screen and Rackley buried the tying 3-pointer with 15 seconds left. West Liberty couldn't get a shot to go with time running down and the game went to overtime.
    The lead changed hands three times in the extra frame but it was a 3-pointer from Charleston's Keith Williams with 2:03 remaining that put the visitors ahead to stay. The Golden Eagles went 6-for-6 from the line the rest of the way.
    Two Seth O'Neal charity tosses with 4 seconds left put the game out of reach, 88-84. The Hilltoppers' Luke Dyer drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to wrap up the scoring.
    "That was a really good college basketball game between two teams who gave everything they had for the entire 40 minutes," Howlett said. "We had a lot of good looks but missed some shots we typically make. That happens in basketball but give a lot of credit to UC. They had a great game plan and their guys executed very well."
    West Liberty spent most of the second half on the comeback trail after Charleston broke open a see-saw contest with a 14-0 run in the early minutes of the second half.
    A pair of Rackley free throws capped the surge, giving the visitors their largest lead of the game, 54-41, with 15:56 on the clock.
    The Hilltoppers chipped away at the deficit and finally were able to mount a 10-0 spurt of their own with a Yahel Hill 3-pointer putting the hosts on top, 68-67, with 3:42 left in regulation. Dalton Bolon and Meininger followed with 3-pointers down the stretch to help build the ill-fated 75-70 lead.
    One of five seniors honored in pre-game Senior Night ceremonies, Meininger came up big for the Black and Gold. The 6-5 forward poured in a career-high 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting – including 3-of-3 from the 3-point arc – and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds while playing 39 of 40 minutes.
    "I really wasn't looking for my shot any more than usual," Meininger said. "I just try to do whatever I can to help the team win. It's really unfortunate that we couldn't come away with the win tonight but I'm really proud of the effort we gave. It's disappointing right now but we'll bounce back."
    Freshman guards Hill and Will Yoakum backed Meininger with 14 points each while sophomore guard Dalton Bolon, who had been averaging more than 31 points a game in the month of February, finished with 13 points and 9 rebounds while battling through intense defensive pressure.
    "There's no question that Dalton was a marked man tonight," Howlett said. "There weren't many open looks for him and Charleston really made him work for everything he got. Eric was really good tonight. Not just the points but the rebounds, the effort, the passing and the work he did on the defensive end. I just wish we could have got our five seniors a win on their Senior Night."
    Rackley scored 19 of his team-high 22 points in the second half to pace five double-figure scorers for the visitors. McManus had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
    The Hilltoppers return to the ASRC on Wednesday to host West Virginia Wesleyan. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.