Men's Basketball | 5/8/2020 8:00:00 AM

    NOTE: With the athletic world on hold, WLU Sports Information has joined forces with TopperStation to wake up a few echoes. We've dug up some of the original game stories and, when available, full video replays of significant games from the not-so-distant past. We hope you enjoy these looks back and are able to stay safe until we see you again on the hilltop! #TopperNation #UnitedAsOne #GoWLU
 
TOPPERSTATION VIDEO LINK: West Liberty 89, Holy Family 86 (December 14, 2014)
 
    WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – Devin Hoehn drained a 25-foot 3-pointer with just 6 seconds remaining here Sunday to lift unbeaten and No. 1-ranked West Liberty to an 89-86 victory against NCAA Division II East Region power Holy Family (Pa.) in a down-to-the-wire thriller at the ASRC.
    "That's a very good win for us against an outstanding basketball team," Hilltopper head coach Jim Crutchfield said. "They really defended us well and shot 16-for-29 from the 3-point line but we were able to make just enough plays to pull it out at the end."
    After leading by as many as 14 points in the first half, the Hilltoppers (8-0) found themselves having to come from behind in the waning minutes against the hot-shooting Tigers (7-2).
    Holy Family blistered the nets at a 65 percent (17-of-26) clip in the second half – including a 7-for-11 (64 percent) showing from behind the 3-point arc – to wipe out West Liberty's double-digit lead.
    Isaiah Gans buried his fifth 3-pointer of the day from deep in the right corner to give the Philadelphia-based squad an 82-78 lead with just 2:41 remaining.
    The Hilltoppers cut it to 82-80 when Indiana Faithfull found C.J. Hester inside for a layup with 2:13 to play and WLU got the ball back when Joe Lococo came up with a steal. Lococo missed a 3-point try with 1:33 left but pulled his own rebound and got the ball to Faithfull, who found Seger Bonifant for a go-ahead 3-pointer, making it 83-82 with 1:27 remaining.
    Reggie Charles put the Tigers back in front, 84-83, with two free throws at the 1:07 mark but Lococo found Bonifant again for another 3-pointer and an 86-84 lead with 52 seconds remaining.
    Charles knotted the count at 86-86 with a leaner in the lane at the 40-second mark and West Liberty opted to run the shot clock down on its final possession.
    Faithfull dribbled the ball above the top of the circle as the clock ticked down into single digits before whipping a pass over to Hoehn near the quarter-court hash in front of the WLU bench. The sophomore guard – who had gone 0-for-5 from behind the arc to that point – barely beat the shot clock and hit nothing but net for the game-winner with 5 seconds remaining.
    Charles managed to get off a desperation 3-point attempt but it clanged off the iron at the buzzer.
    "We had a play set up at the end but we didn't execute it," Crutchfield said. "Fortunately, we have a lot of guys on this team with the confidence to take – and make – big shots in pressure situations. I don't think Devin had made a 'three' all day but he went up for that shot like he hadn't missed one all day."
    Bonifant and Hester shared high scoring honors for West Liberty with 21 points each with Hester adding a game-high 10 rebounds for his third consecutive double-double since returning from injury. Hoehn finished with 13 points and a game-high 7 assists while Lococo contributed 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in extended action off the bench.
    Holy Family, which saw its 7-game winning streak come to an end, got a game-high 26 points from Charles while Gans just missed a double-double with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Xavier Williams was 5-for-6 from the 3-point arc for 15 points and Marvin Crawford added 15 points and 4 assists.
    "We need games like this," Crutchfield said. "(Holy Family) is one of the best teams in the East Region so this is a quality win on our resume. Anytime you come down the stretch with the game hanging on every shot, every pass and every possession, that builds basketball character."
    The Hilltoppers close out their pre-holiday schedule at home on Wednesday with a 7:30 p.m. game against Malone (Ohio).