WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University men's basketball team will host its final Wednesday night home contest this week taking on Davis & Elkins inside the ASRC.

THE BASICS
January 23, 2023 | 7:30 pm | ASRC (West Liberty, W.Va.)
Davis & Elkins (10-8, 4-8 MEC) vs. #22 West Liberty (15-3, 10-2 MEC)
Live stats and video links will be available here.

THE HILLTOPPERS
West Liberty will look to bounce back from a 114-107 upset loss at rival Wheeling on Saturday. The Cardinals shot 62.5% in the game and 52.2% from beyond the arc. A red-hot start to the second half for Wheeling built their lead up to 19 points with 9:34 to play. The Hilltoppers chipped away and got it back within single digits with just under four minutes left but could not get closer than seven.
 
The Hilltoppers are in the top five in Division II in eight statistical categories. They lead the country in three pointers per game (12.4), three point attempts per game (33.4), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.83). They are second in scoring offense (99.3 points per game) and assists per game (22.3) Then, WLU ranks fifth in turnovers forced per game (6.9) and steals per game (10.4). The Hilltoppers have forced 20 or more turnovers seven times this season.
 
West Liberty is shooting 48.8% from the field and 37.0% from beyond the arc, meanwhile opponents are converting at a 49.3% rate from the field and 35.4% from deep. WLU has had double-digit more field goals than opponents 10 times. The Hilltoppers have drained double-digit threes in 13 outings and made a season-high 22 versus Frostburg State, one of two games with 20-plus three pointers. They have held opponents to single digit three pointers in 14 of the 18 games.
 
Bryce Butler leads all of DII with 173 made field goals and is shooting 60.1% from the floor. He is atop the MEC and fourth in DII averaging 23.3 points per game. Butler has scored double-digits in every game this season with 15 games above 20 and three 30-point outings. The junior guard has recorded five double-doubles, with the most recent coming in the last home game versus Alderson Broaddus scoring 24 points with a season-high 12 rebounds. Butler has also had an assist in every game dishing out 3.6 per game (second on the team) and ranks seventh in the MEC with a 1.76 assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
Six Hilltoppers average double-digit points per game. Malik McKinney (12.8), Christian Montague (12.3), Steve Cannady (11.7), Ben Sarson (10.3), and Zach Rasile (10.0) all join Butler. McKinney (53%), Cannady (51%), and Chaz Hinds (51.3%) along with Butler are all making over half their shots.
 
Montague has scored double digits in seven straight and went over 1,000 career points between Walsh and West Liberty with a career-high 26 points versus Frostburg State. He has made multiple threes in six of the last eight games and is second on the team, averaging 2.39 triples per game. Montague leads the team averaging 4.1 assists per game.
 
McKinney has netted double digits in nine of the last 11 games. He leads the team from the free throw line making 3.5 per game and shooting 78.8% from the stripe.
 
Cannady is coming off a season-high 22 points with four three pointers at Wheeling on Saturday. He also pulled down four rebounds and dished out four assists, his fourth straight game with multiple assists. Cannady leads the conference and ranks 14th in DII with a 3.00 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Rasile is fifth in the MEC averaging 2.39 three pointers per game shooting 44.8% from deep and tied his career-high with five in two of the last four games.
 
Nine Hilltoppers average over 10 minutes per game.
 
West Liberty started the season 9-0 and then bounced back from its first loss in the Las Vegas tournament opener against Lubbock Christian with five straight wins. Two of the last three games have been losses, at Fairmont and Wheeling, and a win at home last Wednesday versus Alderson Broaddus. The Hilltoppers are 9-0 at home and 4-0 at home on Wednesday nights.

THE SENATORS
Davis & Elkins is coming off a 70-53 win at West Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday, its largest conference win of the year, snapping a four-game losing streak. The Senators are averaging 77.5 points per game and allowing 77.6, the third least in the MEC. They are shooting the ball at a 44.8% clip from the field and 33.4% from deep, while opponents are netting 44% of their shots and 31.3% from beyond the arc, the third lowest in the MEC.
 
Three players average double digit points for the Red and Black. Junior Sam Rolle IV leads the team at 18.9 per game and has scored 20-plus in four straight games. Rolle's 18.9 ranks fourth in the MEC and he leads the MEC in steals (2.3) and assists per game (5.7), which both rank 13^th in DII. 6'8" junior forward Vadim Clanet (13.6) and fifth year Breland Walton (11.1) round out the three double-digit Senators.
 
Clanet paces the rebounding efforts for D&E averaging 6.6 per game, while freshman forward Clarens Pierre pulls in 6.3 and leads the MEC in blocks per game, at 1.83. Clanet also leads the team from beyond the arc averaging 1.9 threes per game, while Rolle nets 1.6 triples per outing.
 
The Senators are 4-3 in away contests this season.

THE SERIES
The Hilltoppers own a commanding 83-29 advantage in the all time series that dates to the 1935-36 season. West Liberty has won 21 straight outings against the Senators and downed D&E 101-64 on the road in early December. The 'Toppers never trailed and led by double digits the entire second half resulting in a 37-point victory. Butler led five players in double digits for the Black and Gold with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting. McKinney ended with 14 and went a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe. Rasile netted a game-high three triples finishing with 13 points.

NEXT UP
West Liberty will travel to West Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday for a 4 pm tip off.

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