Men's Basketball | 3/13/2020 11:43:00 AM

    BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – West Liberty University men's basketball standout Dalton Bolon was honored as the 2019-20 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Player of the Year on Friday when the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) announced its All-Region Team.
    A first-team NCAA Division II Academic All-American and the Mountain East Conference Player of the Year, Bolon is a repeat selection on the 10-man D2CCA All-Region Team, which is chosen in voting by sports information directors from the Atlantic Region schools.
    The 6-4 junior guard from Gnadenhutten, Ohio was a major factor in leading West Liberty to a No. 7 national ranking, its third consecutive Mountain East Conference title and an MEC Tournament crown. Averaging a double-double since Jan. 1, Bolon helped the Hilltoppers come roaring down the stretch with 21 victories in their last 22 games.
    A 4-time MEC Player of the Week and the league's only player to make the Top 50 Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award honoring the best player in small college basketball, Bolon averaged 18.5 ppg. to go along with team-highs of 269 rebounds, 84 3-point field goals and an MEC-best 101-of-116 (.871) showing from the foul line.
    Bolon scored 20 or more points in 14 games, including a season-high 32 against Mansfield (Pa.), and pulled down a team season-high 15 rebounds in wins against Urbana and Fairmont State. The 3-year starter had 25 double-figure scoring games and ranked among the NCAA leaders with a dozen double-doubles.
    Rapidly climbing the West Liberty career charts in multiple categories, Bolon already ranks No. 13 all-time at the school with 1,757 career points and is fourth on the WLU 3-point field goal list with 282 career bonus bombs.
    Joining Bolon on the 5-man first-team unit is Indiana (Pa.) senior Malik Miller, juniors Roger Ray of Livingstone (N.C.) and Jake Biss of Shippensburg (Pa.) along with West Chester (Pa.) freshman Robbie Heath. Second-team picks include Glenville State's Phil Bledsoe, Fairmont State's Dale Bonner, Armoni Foster of Indiana (Pa.), John Paul Kromka of Pitt-Johnstown and Deaquan Williams of Lincoln (Pa.)
    Bolon and the other first-team selections advance to the national ballot for the 2019-20 D2CCA All-America Team, which will be announced later this month.
  Name                                      School                                     Pos.        Ht.        Wt.         Cl.                                                  Hometown
Jake Biss                                  Shippensburg                         G             6-2        185         Jr.                                                  Latrobe, Pa.
DALTON BOLON**               WEST LIBERTY                       G             6-4        205         JR.                                                  GNADENHUTTEN, OHIO
Robbie Heath                         West Chester                         G             6-3        180         Fr.                                                  Whittlesea, Australia
Malik Miller                            Indiana (Pa.)                           G             6-4        185         Sr.             Farrell, Pa.
Roger Ray                               Livingstone                             G             5-9        165         Jr.              Raleigh, N.C.
      ** Atlantic Region Player of the Year Name                                      School                                     Pos.        Ht.        Wt.         Cl.                                                  Hometown
Phil Bledsoe                           Glenville State                       F              6-6        215         Sr.                                                  Wheeling, W.Va.
Dale Bonner                           Fairmont State                      G             6-3        165         Fr.             Shaker Heights, Ohio
Armoni Foster                        Indiana (Pa.)                           G             6-4        170         So.                                                  Meadville, Pa.
John Paul Kromka                 Pitt-Johnstown                      F              6-7        210         So.                                                  Monroeville, Pa.
Deaquan Williams                 Lincoln                                     F              6-8        215         Jr.                                                  Camden, N.J.