Men's Basketball | 2/23/2021 2:56:00 PM

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The West Liberty University men's basketball team rose two more spots in the National Association of Basketball Coaches' NCAA Division II Top 25 poll this week to check in at No. 20 heading into the final few days of the regular season.
    Coach Ben Howlett's Hilltoppers (11-3), who won their seventh straight game on Monday with a 75-59 victory at Davis & Elkins, had only one chance to hit the court last week but took full advantage of it with a 128-75 blowout of Frostburg State.
    West Liberty is one of three Mountain East Conference teams to crack the Top 25 this week. Charleston (12-2) moved up to No. 16 on Tuesday with Fairmont State (10-3) jumping back into the Top 25 at No. 24. The poll includes only games played through Sunday, so Fairmont's 96-85 upset loss at Notre Dame on Monday will not impact the rankings until next week.
    The Hilltoppers close out their home schedule on Wednesday with a huge game when they host Fairmont State in a battle for sole possession of first place in the MEC North Division. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. inside the ASRC.
       Team (FPV)                                                 Rec          Pts       Pvs
  1. NW Missouri State (15)                        19-1         399           3
  2. West Texas A&M                                   11-1         370           4
  3. Truman State (Mo.)                               16-1         355           5
  4. Mercyhurst (Pa.)                                    10-0         352           6
  5. Colorado Mesa                                       16-1         340           7
  6. Lubbock Christian (Texas) (1)              16-0         319           9
  7. Colorado School of Mines                    13-1         308           1
  8. Northern State (S.D.)                            15-1         297           2
  9. Hillsdale (Mich.)                                     17-1         276         11
10. Texas A&M-Kingsville                           13-1         251         12
11. St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.)                     9-0         232         16
12. Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.)                    16-3         199           8
13. Northwest Nazarene (Idaho)              10-1         196         17
14. Flagler (Fla.)                                            11-2         182         18
15. Alabama Huntsville                               12-2         173         10
16. CHARLESTON                                         12-2         148         20
17. Queens (N.C.)                                         13-4         136         19
18. Dallas Baptist (Texas)                           13-3         127         13
19. Point Loma (Calif.)                                   6-1         118         14
20. WEST LIBERTY                                        10-3         104         22
21. Findlay (Ohio)                                         15-4           87         23
22. Gannon (Pa.)                                             8-1           62         21
23. Valdosta State (Ga.)                              12-4           42         25
24. FAIRMONT STATE                                 10-2           40        NR
25. Washburn (Kan.)                                   14-5           37         15
     Others receiving votes: Lee (Tenn.) 12, Southern Indiana 12, Georgia College 9, MSU-Moorhead 4, Emmanuel (Ga.) 3, Hawai'i Hilo 3, Arkansas-Monticello 2, Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 2, Southwest Baptist (Mo.) 2, Oklahoma Baptist 1.