WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. - Bryce Butler banked in a shot with five seconds left and it proved to be the game winner for the #4 ranked West Liberty University men's basketball team over #21 West Virginia State, 91-89, in a heavyweight conference battle tonight inside the ASRC.  

The Hilltoppers stay perfect on the season improving to 9-0 and 6-0 in MEC play, while dropping the Yellow Jackets to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in conference. 

Tie game. 27.5 seconds on the clock. "I think everyone in the ASRC knew the ball was going to (Bryce)," said Head Coach Ben Howlett. "He wanted it, he's the type of person that can put the team on his back if he has to and he did that tonight."

The Hilltoppers came out of the huddle and drained the clock to 10 seconds before setting up an isolation for Butler on the left elbow. A quick rip through and drive to his right, Butler got down near the right block and elevated after a pump fake for the soft touch off the glass to put West Liberty in front 91-89 and erupt the home crowd.

Still with a couple seconds to work with, West Virginia State was able to get quickly down the court for a decent look in front of their own bench. Butler put the celebration on hold and closed out on the shot forcing a miss, then the celebration commenced.

Butler finished the game with 33 points, 19 of which in the second half. He shot 15-of-27 from the field with six rebounds, four of which on the offensive end, three assists, two steals, and zero turnovers.

It was a back-and-forth, physical game from start to finish. The lead changed hands 10 times and there were nine ties.

The Yellow Jackets held a slight two-point edge at the half, 39-37, after neither side led by more than five points. It was a mutual cold shooting 20 minutes to start, in which the teams shot a combined 4-for-27 (14.8%) from three.

Out of the break, West Virginia State pushed the lead up to seven a pair of times, but a 7-0 run by the 'Toppers answered to tie it back up at 52 with just over 14 minutes to play. Malik McKinney got the run started, then Christian Montague finished it off with an and-one.

The lead alternated over the next three minutes until a 6-0 spurt for West Liberty put the Black and Gold up five. Chaz Hinds nailed his first of two big threes in the second half at the 10:58 mark to cap off the run.

The Hilltoppers were able to hold that lead all the way until the 89-89 tie. Michael Sampson gave the 'Toppers their largest lead of the night (74-66) off a pair of free throws with just over seven minutes left, but WVSU was quick to answer and get it back within one over the next two minutes setting the scene for what was an instant classic finish. The game stayed within four points for the final four and a half minutes.

McKinney had back-to-back buckets in the final minutes and ended the night with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting. He also led the team with four assists. Hinds finished with 10 points in 18 minutes off the bench. 

Ben Sarson pulled down eight boards to lead the Black and Gold. The Hilltoppers ended the night with a 17-9 advantage on the offensive glass, leading to a nine-point edge in second chance points. 

West Liberty heads west for its next action, traveling to Las Vegas, Nev. for the DII Holiday Hoops Classic. The event begins Saturday with a matchup against Lubbock Christian at 5:45 pm eastern.

Follow Hilltopper basketball all season online at HilltopperSports.com and on Twitter (@WLU_Hoops | @WLathletics), Instagram (@wlu_mbb | @wlu_athletics), and Facebook.

Postgame Interviews

Head Coach Ben Howlett


Bryce Butler & Chaz Hinds