WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University men's basketball team finishes the regular season on Saturday hosting Wheeling inside the ASRC.

THE BASICS
February 25, 2023 | 4:00 pm | ASRC (West Liberty, W.Va.)
Wheeling (6-21, 4-17 MEC) vs. #8/10 West Liberty (24-3, 19-2 MEC)
Live stats and video links will be available here.

THE HILLTOPPERS
Fresh off clinching its sixth straight MEC Regular Season Championship, West Liberty dominated Notre Dame College on the road Wednesday night to extend its win streak to nine straight, tying the longest of the season (a 9-0 start). The Hilltoppers used a monster 27-0 run from 15:25 - 9:44 in the second half to assert their dominance and take a 78-40 lead cruising to victory. After a back-and-forth opening five minutes, WLU scored 23 of the next 29 points going up by 15. NDC brought the game to an 11-point margin early in the second half, but the longest run of the season ensued for the Black and Gold. The run extended to 44-8 and then the Hilltoppers took their largest lead, 49 points, with two minutes remaining. West Liberty owned all facets of the game, 11-3 advantage in three pointers, 46-32 edge in points in the paint, 31-4 lead in points off turnovers. The 'Topper defense forced 22 turnovers and eight different players had steals. All 13 Hilltoppers that saw action pulled in a rebound, 11 scored, and 10 had an assist. Ben Sarson scored a game-high 20 points and tied a career-best with five three pointers. Malik McKinney (16), Bryce Butler (15), Chaz Hinds (10), and Alek West (10) all scored double digits. Christian Montague pulled in seven rebounds and dished out seven assists, both led the Black and Gold, while Steve Cannady led the defense with three steals.
 
The recent win at Frostburg State was Head Coach Ben Howlett's 150th career win at the helm of the Hilltoppers. Two wins since improves his career record to 152-24 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 three in Division II in nine statistical categories and lead the country in four. They lead the country in three pointers per game (12.7), three-point attempts per game (33.4), assists per game (23.0), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.96). WLU ranks second in scoring offense (101.1 points per game), scoring margin (+19.4), and turnovers forced per game (19.78). Then is third in turnover margin (+8.0) and steals per game (10.9).
 
West Liberty is scoring its 100-plus points per game by shooting 49.4% from the field and 38.1% from beyond the arc, meanwhile opponents are netting 81.7 points per game by converting at a 48.3% rate from the field and 34.4% clip from deep. The Hilltoppers have forced 20 or more turnovers 13 times this season including on Wednesday (22) and in six of the last nine games. WLU has hoisted double-digit more shot attempts than opponents in 15 of the 27 games.
 
The Hilltoppers have drained double-digit threes in 21 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 10 of the last 11 games and four straight. They have held opponents to single digit three pointers in 22 of the 27 games, including nine of the last 11.
 
WLU has scored over 100-plus 15 times this season including each of the last four, while recording 19 of its 24 wins by double digits.
 
Bryce Butler is second in all of DII with 248 made field goals and is shooting 59.6% from the floor. He is atop the MEC and 11^th in DII averaging 22.5 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 19 of the 27 games this season. The junior guard also leads the team on the glass pulling in 7.0 rebounds per game, ranking sixth in the conference, and dishes out 3.6 assists per game (second on the team, eighth in the MEC). He has had six assists in four different outings over the last eight games, including in last Saturday's win over Fairmont State, which he also scored 27 points. 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 (12.2), Malik McKinney (12.2), Steve Cannady (11.2), and Ben Sarson (10.8) all join Butler (22.5). McKinney (54.8%) and Butler (59.6%) are all making over half their shot attempts.
 
Four Hilltoppers shoot over 40% from beyond the arc, Montague leads at 44.4%, then Zach Rasile (43.9%), Butler (42.2%), and Cannady (40.9%) follow.
 
Four 'Toppers are in the top-six in the MEC in assist-to-turnover ratio, Cannady (1^st – 3.00), Montague (T2^nd – 2.86), Alek West (T2^nd – 2.86), and Butler (6^th – 1.87).
 
Montague scored a career-high 30 points in last Saturday's win over Fairmont State 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. Montague pulled in a team-high seven rebounds on Wednesday, the second straight game leading the team on the boards. He is second on the team, averaging 2.04 triples per game, while shooting a team-best 44.4% from three. Montague leads the team averaging 3.9 assists per game and tied his season-high last game with seven. He has had four-plus assists in 11 of the last 14 outings. Montague also ranks seventh in the MEC with 40 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 10 games. Cannady has posted 10-plus 16 times in his first season dawning the Black and Gold. He has dished out multiple assists in 11 of the last 13 games, including six in the win over Fairmont State, averaging 3.1 assists per game and ranks sixth in the MEC in steals with a team-high 44 on the season averaging 1.63 per game.
 
Rasile is sixth in the MEC averaging 2.26 three pointers per game and is shooting 43.9% from deep. The sophomore guard tied his career-high with five triples for the fourth time in the recent home win over Concord. He has been three-point-less in the past two games for the first time this season. Rasile also tied his career-high with three steals in the home win over Davis & Elkins and has recorded at least one in 12 of the last 13 games.
 
Ben Sarson, a 6'6" sophomore forward, is shooting 47.4% this season and 39.8% from deep. He had a team-high in rebounds in four straight games, before Montague led the team the past two games, including a career-high (11) at Glenville State on February 8. Sarson scored a team-leading 20 points last time out, his second game hitting 20-plus, he has netted double figures 14 times this season and is shooting 81.8% from the line. He has had a block in five of the last six outings. Sarson has made a three in each of the last 10 games, including a career-high five on Wednesday. He averages 1.96 three pointers per game (10^th in the MEC).
 
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 16 times this season, including five straight, and hit the 20 mark three times with a pair of 24-point outings. McKinney has attempted 100 free throws this season (second on the team behind Butler's 110) and is shooting 80%, he went 6-for-7 at the line on Wednesday and has converted 14 of his last 15 trips to the line since the February 1 game at West Virginia State.
 
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 last Saturday over Fairmont State. He added a second straight double-digit scoring effort on Wednesday bringing his season total to six games with 10-plus. He has had multiple assists in 12 of the last 13 games and averages 3.1 per game. West also is ninth in the MEC with 38 steals this season.
 
Hinds has made a three pointer in 10 of the last 11 games and is coming off his sixth double-digit game on Wednesday. The first year Hilltopper is averaging 6.5 points per game.
 
10 Hilltoppers average over 10 minutes per game with Butler leading all players, at 28.7 minutes on the court.
 
West Liberty is 13-0 on its home court this season, 10-0 in conference action. On Saturdays inside the ASRC, WLU is 5-0 against MEC foes (Fairmont State 119-113 OT, 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.

THE CARDINALS
Wheeling dropped a road contest at Alderson Broaddus on Wednesday and is still searching for the final spot in the upcoming MEC Tournament. An 11-point win versus Frostburg State gave the Cardinals a chance to clinch on Wednesday and now will try again Saturday at crosstown rival West Liberty going for the season sweep.
 
The Cardinals are scoring 81.6 points per game and allowing 85.4. They are shooting 46.0% from the field and 33.7% beyond the arc, while opponents post a 46.5% shooting clip and a 37.2% mark from deep. Wheeling has a -0.6-rebounding margin and -1.9-turnover margin.
 
John Korte, a senior forward, 19.9 points per game (3^rd in the MEC) and put up 40 in the first meeting with the Hilltoppers. He is on the court the most of any player in the conference (34.3 per game) and has made 141 free throws (2^nd in the MEC) while shooting 74.2% from the line. He is fourth in the conference with a 51.5% shooting percentage. Korte also leads the team and is third in the MEC averaging 7.4 rebounds per game.
 
Marcus Johnson (17.9) and Brent Price (13.6) both score double digits as well for the Cardinals. Johnson has a team-leading 40 triples this season and is shooting 40% from long range, while William Gabbert leads the team hitting three pointers at a 41.1% clip. Johnson and Price both add to the rebounding efforts averaging 6.5 and 6.0 boards per game, respectively.
 
Wheeling makes the playoffs with a win or a Frostburg State loss (at Fairmont State) and will be the 10 seed. The Cardinals are just 1-10 in away games this season, the lone win came on Jan. 14 at Frostburg State (83-78).

THE SERIES
After winning 10 straight matchups, the Hilltoppers dropped the most recent meeting on the road at Wheeling. West Liberty owns a 97-70 all-time advantage over Wheeling, the most wins versus any opponent. The Hilltoppers have won the last four meetings inside the ASRC and 10 of the 12 since the 2010-11 season.
 
Earlier this season (Jan. 21 – Wheeling, W.Va.): West Liberty (107) – Wheeling (114)
The Hilltoppers owned a two-point edge after the opening 20 minutes that saw seven lead changes and 10 ties. The Cardinals stormed out of the halftime break building up a 19-point lead with 9:34 to play. West Liberty was able to chip away and get the game back within single digits (99-90) with just under four minutes left but could not get closer than seven, which came in the final 15 seconds. Bryce Butler scored 25 points and pulled in nine rebounds to lead five double-digit scorers for West Liberty. Steve Cannady netted a season-high 22 points and drained four of WLU's 14 three pointers. Zach Rasile scored 12 points, seven from the free throw line, while Christian Montague and Ben Sarson scored 11 apiece. All eight Hilltoppers that saw action scored at least eight points, pulled down multiple rebounds, dished out an assist, and made a three pointer. Wheeling shot 62.5% (40-64) from the floor and 52.2% (12-23) from beyond the arc in the game.
 
MEC STANDINGS
West Liberty: 1
Wheeling: 11
Full Standings click here.
 
The Hilltoppers won their sixth straight MEC regular season title last 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.

SENIOR DAY
The Hilltoppers will honor Steve Cannady, Christian Montague, Malik McKinney, Bryce Butler, and Michael Sampson for Senior Day prior to tip off.

NEXT UP
West Liberty will be the top seed in the MEC Tournament, which is set for March 1-5 at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling. Tickets, schedules, and more information are available at mountaineast.org.

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