WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University men's basketball team makes its final regular season trek of the season Wednesday night to South Euclid, Ohio taking on the Notre Dame College Falcons.

THE BASICS
February 22, 2023 | 7:30 pm | Murphy Gymnasium (South Euclid, Ohio)
#8/10 West Liberty (23-3, 18-2 MEC) at Notre Dame College (16-10, 12-8 MEC)
Live stats and video links will be available here.

THE HILLTOPPERS
West Liberty enters the matchup on an eight-game winning streak, its longest of the season since the 9-0 start, and fresh off its sixth straight MEC Regular Season Championship.
 
Last Wednesday's win at Frostburg State was Head Coach Ben Howlett's 150th career win at the helm of the Hilltoppers. After Saturday's win he improves to 151-24 all-time. Howlett is the winningest active head men's basketball coach across all NCAA divisions (minimum five seasons) with an .863 winning percentage.
 
The Hilltoppers are in the top-four in Division II in nine statistical categories and lead the country in four. They lead the country in three pointers per game (12.8), three-point attempts per game (33.5), assists per game (23.0), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.97). WLU ranks second in scoring offense (101.1 points per game). Then, is third in scoring margin (+18.5), turnovers forced per game (19.69) and turnover margin (+8.0), while ranking fourth in steals per game (10.8).
 
West Liberty is scoring its 100-plus points per game by shooting 49.3% from the field and 38.2% from beyond the arc, meanwhile opponents are netting 82.7 points per game by converting at a 49.0% rate from the field and 35.3% clip from deep. The Hilltoppers have forced 20 or more turnovers 12 times this season including in five of the last eight games. WLU has hoisted double-digit more shot attempts than opponents in 15 of the 26 games.
 
The Hilltoppers have drained double-digit threes in 19 outings and had their fourth game with 20 or more triples 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 nine of the last 11 games and three straight. They have held opponents to single digit three pointers in 21 of the 26 games, including nine of the last 11.
 
WLU has scored over 100-plus 14 times this season including each of the last three, while recording 18 of its 23 wins by double digits.
 
Bryce Butler is second in all of DII with 242 made field goals and is shooting 59.8% from the floor. He is atop the MEC and eighth in DII averaging 22.8 points per game. Butler has six double-doubles this season and has scored double-digits in every game with 20 games above 20 and three 30-point outings. He has been the Hilltoppers' leading scorer in five of the last six games and in 19 of the 26 games this season. The junior guard also leads the team on the glass pulling in 7.1 rebounds per game, ranking fifth in the conference, and dishes out 3.7 assists per game (second on the team). He has had six assists four different outings, including on Saturday, over the last seven games. 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.
 
Five Hilltoppers average double-digit points per game. Christian Montague (12.5), Malik McKinney (12.0), Steve Cannady (11.5), and Ben Sarson (10.4) all join Butler (22.8). McKinney (53.9%), Cannady (50%) and Butler (59.8%) are all making over half their shot attempts.
 
Four Hilltoppers shoot over 40% from beyond the arc, Zach Rasile leads at 45.5%, then Montague (45%), Butler (42.5%), and Cannady (41.5%) follow.
 
Four 'Toppers are in the top-six in the MEC in assist-to-turnover ratio, Cannady (1^st – 2.96), Alek West (2^nd – 2.76), Montague (3^rd – 2.75), and Butler (6^th – 1.88).
 
Montague scored a career-high 30 points on Saturday and pulled in a team-high eight rebounds, the first player other than Bryce Butler to lead the team in points and rebounds in a game this season. He is second on the team, averaging 2.08 triples per game, while shooting 45% from three. Montague leads the team averaging 3.8 assists per game and has had four-plus in 10 of the last 13 outings, while also ranking eighth in the MEC with 38 steals (2^nd on the team). He has scored double-digits 17 times with two above 20 points (26 & 30). Montague went over 1,000 career points between Walsh and West Liberty with a previous career-high of 26 points in the home matchup against Frostburg State on January 11.
 
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 seven of the last nine games. Cannady has posted 10-plus 16 times in his first season dawning the Black and Gold. He has dished out multiple assists in 10 of the last 12 games, including six on Saturday, averaging 3.1 assists per game and ranks sixth in the MEC in steals with 41 on the season averaging 1.58 per game.
 
Rasile is fifth in the MEC averaging 2.35 three pointers per game and is shooting a team-best 45.5% from deep. The sophomore guard has drained multiple threes in 10 of the last 12 games and tied his career-high with five triples for the fourth time in the recent home win over Concord. Rasile also tied his career-high with three steals in the home win over Davis & Elkins and has recorded at least one in 12 straight games.
 
Ben Sarson, a 6'6" sophomore forward, is shooting 46.7% this season and 38.6% from deep. He has had a team-high in rebounds in four of the last five 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 13 straight games, with a season-high four on last Wednesday at Frostburg State, and has had a block in five consecutive outings. Sarson has made a three in each of the last nine games.
 
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 15 times this season, including four 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 104) 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.
 
West, a junior guard in his first season on the hilltop, scored a season-best 17 points with two threes and a 9-for-9 effort at the free throw line in the win on Saturday. It was the fifth double-digit scoring game for West. He has had multiple assists in 11 of the last 10 games and averages 3.1 per game. West also is ninth in the MEC with 37 steals this season.
 
10 Hilltoppers average over 10 minutes per game with Butler leading all players, at 28.9 minutes on the court.
 
West Liberty is 9-2 on the road, with all but one win being a conference game. WLU is 5-0 on Wednesday away games (106-90 at Frostburg State on Feb. 15, 82-70 at Glenville State on Feb. 8, 102-97 at WVSU on Feb. 1, 113-97 at Concord on Jan. 4, and 98-81 at Charleston on Dec. 7).

THE FALCONS
Notre Dame won six straight games in the middle of conference play and has been battling since going two for its last five. West Virginia State downed the Falcons 86-78 on Saturday snapping a stretch of two wins in a row (87-70 vs Frostburg State and 77-64 vs Charleston).
 
The Falcons are scoring 82.1 points per game on 44.2% shooting from the field and a 37.1% clip from deep. They rank near or at the top of the MEC on defense allowing 75.6 points per game, the second lowest, on 42.8% shooting from the floor and a 29.6% opponent three-point percentage, both shooting percentages are the best defended in the MEC. NDC averages 8.9 threes and 16.7 free throws per game. The Falcons have a +0.3-rebounding margin and +1.4-turnover margin, the second-best in the MEC.
 
Jaedon Willis is currently second in the MEC behind WLU's Butler scoring 21.5 points per game. He is also top four in free throw percentage (90.2%), three-point percentage (40.6%) and three-pointers per game (2.8). Willis is fifth in the country in free throws made, with 157, 14th in free throw percentage and 18th in both points per game and total points (560). DeAirius Barker is ninth in the conference in assists per game (3.2) and adds 12.0 points per game, while Andre Harris rounds out three Falcons averaging double digits at 10.1 points per game. Harris also leads the team on the glass, at 7.1 rebounds per game.
 
Notre Dame is 10-3 on its home court this season.

THE SERIES
The Hilltoppers hold an 18-3 advantage all-time in a series that started in 2013. West Liberty is 8-1 in Murphy Gymnasium, however that one lass came last season with an 82-81 decision to the homestanding Falcons on November 23, 2021. WLU averages 99.95 points per game versus NDC and is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
 
Earlier this season (Nov. 22 – West Liberty, W.Va.): Notre Dame (83) – West Liberty (107)
After a first half battle sent the teams to the break tied at 52, the Hilltoppers started the second half on an 8-0 run and finished the final four minutes with an 11-0 run rolling to the 24-point victory. On the glass, West Liberty owned a +15 advantage overall and an 18-4 edge on the offensive end. Taking advantage of the extra opportunities, WLU scored 28 second chance points with 20 of those in the second half. The 'Topper defense held Notre Dame to just four three pointers in the game, including a 1-of-9 effort in the second half, while going 15-for-36 (41.7%) from deep. WLU assisted on 26 of 38 made field goals. The Hilltoppers were up by as many as 17 in the first half, but the Falcons never gave up battling back to tie it. Sarson scored 24 points and pulled down nine boards to lead the Black and Gold. Butler netted 21 points, along with nine rebounds, six of which on the offensive end, and dished out a game-high seven assists. Cannady and Montague added 14 and 11 points, respectively.
 
MEC STANDINGS
West Liberty: 1
Notre Dame: T4
Full Standings click here.
 
The Hilltoppers won their sixth straight MEC regular season title on Saturday with a win over Fairmont State. West Liberty has won nine regular season titles 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. The Hilltoppers dynasty dates to 2010, when they were members of the WVIAC winning the league in 2010, 11, 12, 13, and 14 before the creation of the MEC making it 13 of the last 14 years that West Liberty has been regular season conference champions.
 
The MEC Tournament is set for March 1-5 at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling. Tickets and more information are available at mountaineast.org.

NEXT UP
West Liberty will finish the regular season hosting crosstown rival Wheeling on Saturday at 4 pm inside the ASRC, looking for revenge of a 114-107 upset on January 21 in Wheeling.

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