WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University men's basketball team will have its first chance at revenge this season hosting Fairmont State on Saturday afternoon inside the ASRC.

THE BASICS
February 17, 2023 | 4:00 pm | ASRC (West Liberty, W.Va.)
Fairmont State (20-5, 15-4 MEC) vs. #11/10 West Liberty (22-3, 17-2 MEC)
Live stats and video links will be available here.

THE HILLTOPPERS
West Liberty enters the matchup on a seven-game winning streak, its longest of the season since the 9-0 start. The Hilltoppers got in front early and had to fend off a couple comeback attempts but were able to keep control of the contest en route to a 106-90 victory on the road Wednesday night at Frostburg State. All 11 Hilltoppers that played scored, with Bryce Butler leading the way with 22 points, and Steve Cannady and Finley Woodward scoring 14 points each. WLU forced 26 turnovers and turned them into 36 points, while only surrendering eight turnovers. The Hilltoppers led by 20 in the first half, but were held without a field goal for the first five minutes of the second frame as Frostburg State went on a 10-0 run to creep back in it. West Liberty had a key 8-0 spark midway through the second that got the lead back to double-digits and it stayed cruising to victory.
 
Wednesday's win was Head Coach Ben Howlett's 150th career win at the helm of the Hilltoppers improving his record to 150-24. Howlett is the winningest active head men's basketball coach across all NCAA divisions (minimum five seasons) with an .862 winning percentage.
 
The Hilltoppers are in the top-four in Division II in nine statistical categories. They lead the country in three pointers per game (12.9), three-point attempts per game (33.5), assists per game (23.1), and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.00). WLU ranks second in scoring offense (100.4 points per game). Then, is third in turnovers forced per game (19.8) and turnover margin (+8.3), while ranking fourth in scoring margin (+19.0) and steals per game (10.8).
 
West Liberty is scoring its 100-plus points per game by shooting 49.3% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc, meanwhile opponents are netting 81.4 points per game by converting at a 48.6% rate from the field and 35.7% clip from deep. The Hilltoppers have forced 20 or more turnovers 12 times this season including in five of the last seven games. WLU has hoisted double-digit more shot attempts than opponents in 15 of the 25 games.
 
The Hilltoppers have drained double-digit threes in 18 outings and had their fourth game with 20 or more triples last Saturday draining 20 versus Concord, in which they set an NCAA DII single-game record having 12 different players record a made three pointer. WLU has made double-digit threes in eight of the last 10 games. They have held opponents to single digit three pointers in 20 of the 25 games, including eight of the last 10.
 
WLU has scored over 100-plus 13 times this season including each of the last two, while recording 18 of its 22 wins by double digits.
 
Bryce Butler is second in all of DII with 232 made field goals and is shooting 59.6% from the floor. He is atop the MEC and eighth in DII averaging 22.6 points per game. Butler has six double-doubles this season and has scored double-digits in every game with 19 games above 20 and three 30-point outings. He has been the Hilltoppers' leading scorer in five straight games and in 19 of the 25 games this season. The junior guard also leads the team on the glass pulling in 7.2 rebounds per game, ranking fifth in the conference, and dishes out 3.6 assists per game (second on the team). Butler is a five-time MEC Player of the Week and was named the D2CIDA National Player of the Week on December 13 after his game-winning shot over WVSU at home. He earned his fifth POW honor from the MEC this past Monday after leading the team in scoring averaging 23 points along with eight rebounds in a 2-0 week for the Black and Gold.
 
Five Hilltoppers average double-digit points per game. Christian Montague (12.0), Malik McKinney (11.8), Steve Cannady (11.4), and Ben Sarson (10.5) all join Butler. McKinney (54.7%), Cannady (50.8%) and Butler (59.6%) are all making over half their shot attempts.
 
Four Hilltoppers shoot over 40% from beyond the arc, Zach Rasile leads at 46.2%, then Cannady (43.6%), Montague (43.1%), and Butler (42.7%) follow.
 
Montague went over 1,000 career points between Walsh and West Liberty with a career-high 26 points in the home matchup against Frostburg State on January 11. He is second on the team, averaging 2.00 triples per game, while shooting 43.1% from three. Montague leads the team averaging 3.9 assists per game and has had four-plus in 10 of the last 12 outings. He also leads the conference and ranks 12^th nationally with a 2.94 assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
Three 'Toppers are in the top-five in the MEC in assist-to-turnover ratio, Montague (1^st – 2.94), Cannady (2^nd – 2.75), and Butler (5^th – 1.88).
 
Cannady, a graduate transfer from Mercyhurst, scored a season-high 22 points with four three pointers in the loss at Wheeling starting a streak of double digits scoring efforts in six of the eight games. Cannady has posted 10-plus 15 times in his first season dawning the Black and Gold. He has dished out multiple assists in nine of the last 11 games averaging 3.0 assists per game and ranks sixth in the MEC in steals with 39 on the season averaging 1.56 per game.
 
Rasile is fifth in the MEC averaging 2.44 three pointers per game and is shooting a team-best 46.2% from deep. The sophomore guard has drained multiple threes in 10 of the last 11 games and tied his career-high with five triples for the fourth time this season last Saturday. Rasile also tied his career-high with three steals in the home win over Davis & Elkins and has recorded at least one in 11 straight games.
 
Ben Sarson, a 6'6" sophomore forward, is shooting 47.2% this season and 39.1% from deep. He has had a team-high in rebounds in each of the last four games including a career-high (11) at Glenville State on February 8. Sarson has scored double figures 13 times this season and is shooting 82.9% from the line. He has an assist in 12 straight games with a season-high four on Wednesday at Frostburg State. Sarson has made a three in each of the last eight games with multiple makes from deep in four of the last six outings.
 
McKinney, a senior guard from Bowie, Md., recently eclipsed 1,000 career points in the Hilltopper uniform becoming the 55^th player in West Liberty history to join the club. He has scored double digits 14 times this season, including three straight, and hit the 20 mark three times with a pair of 24-point outings. McKinney has attempted 93 free throws this season (second on the team behind Butler's 99) and is shooting 79.6%, he has made each of his last eight free throws since February 1 at West Virginia State, spanning attempts in four different games.
 
10 Hilltoppers average over 10 minutes per game with Butler leading all players, at 28.7 minutes on the court.
 
West Liberty is 12-0 on its home court this season, 9-0 in conference action. On Saturdays inside the ASRC, WLU is 4-0 against MEC foes (WVSU 91-89, Glenville State 88-73, Charleston 94-77, and Concord (127-79) as well as a 94-85 win over non-conference opponent Cal (Pa.) on opening weekend.
 
A win would clinch the MEC regular season championship for WLU and extend the Hilltoppers win streak to eight in a row, the longest since their 9-0 start to the season.

THE FIGHTING FALCONS
Fairmont State enters the matchup on a four-game winning streak and has won 12 of its last 13 games, the only loss being in overtime (85-84) at Glenville State. On Wednesday, the Fighting Falcons went over the century mark for the sixth time this season in a 109-100 victory over Wheeling at home.
 
Fairmont State is scoring 92.9 points per game, the third-most in DII and second in the MEC behind WLU, while shooting 50.2% from the floor, which ranks 11^th in DII and atop the MEC, and 40.2% from three, ranking 10^th in DII and first in the MEC. The Fighting Falcons average 11.0 three pointers per game, the eighth most in DII. On defense, Fairmont State is allowing 80.5 points per game on 43.5% shooting from the floor and 37.0% shooting beyond the arc. FSU averages 14.4 turnovers per game and forces 15.08 for a +0.7 margin. On the glass, they own a +3.7-rebounding margin.
 
Graduate student Isaiah Sanders leads the team averaging 19 points per game, ranking fourth in the MEC, while draining a conference-leading 3.23 triples per game. He is shooting 44.2% from deep and has the second-most three-point makes in DII this season with 84.
 
George Mangas (15.2), Fonz Hale (12.8), Briggs Parris (12.0), and Zyon Dobbs (11.3) all join Sanders averaging double-digit points per game. Three players average five-plus rebounds per game with Mangas and Dobbs tied at 5.3, then Tariq Woody right behind at 5.2.
 
Fairmont State is 8-4 on the road this season.

THE SERIES
The Falcons have the slight edge all-time (98-84) against the Hilltoppers heading into the 183rd meeting between the schools. The first meeting was 99 years ago in the 1923-24 inaugural season for WLU, Fairmont State won the matchup 39-26. In recent history, West Liberty has won 23 of the 31 meetings since 2010. At home, the Hilltoppers have won 13 of the 14 meetings since 2010, however that loss was the last matchup inside the ASRC (100-97).
 
Earlier this season (January 14 at Fairmont): WLU (76) – Fairmont State (101)
Fairmont State defended its home court in January handing West Liberty its first conference loss of the season. The Hilltoppers battled back-and-forth with the Fighting Falcons throughout the opening 13 minutes and held a lead of as many as six early on. After a layup at the 7:10 mark, West Liberty did not make a field goal the remainder of the first half. Fairmont State scored 15 of the final 19 points before the break capped off by a slam dunk to give the Falcons their largest lead of the game heading to the locker room. West Liberty was unable to string more than two field goals in a row together in the second half, as the Falcons kept their lead at double digits the entire way. Fairmont State shot 51.6% from three (16-for-31) and held the Hilltoppers to 30% shooting (9-for-30) beyond the arc. The Falcons also held the edge in the paint, 36-24, and on the fast break, 18-10. Christian Montague led the team in scoring for the second straight game netting 15 points, while Bryce Butler posted his fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
 
MEC STANDINGS
West Liberty: 1
Fairmont State: 2

The Hilltoppers can clinch sole possession of the MEC regular season title with a win. It would be West Liberty's sixth straight conference regular season championship and ninth in the 10 year history of the conference. WLU was the sole regular season champion in 2014, 15, 18, 19, 20, and 22, then won the North Division in 2021 (the lone year with divisions) and shared the title with Wheeling Jesuit in 2016. Fairmont State was the only other sole champion in 2017.

Full Standings click here.

NEXT UP
West Liberty wraps up regular season road trips on Wednesday with a visit to South Euclid, Ohio to take on Notre Dame College at 7:30 pm.

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