WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — West Liberty put on a dominant display Wednesday night at the ASRC, rolling past Salem University 112–67 behind a blistering offensive performance and relentless defensive pressure. The Hilltoppers buried 17 three-pointers, forced 27 turnovers, and converted those mistakes into 44 points while showcasing impressive depth with 59 points from the bench.
West Liberty set the tone early, opening the game with a layup from Peter Lattos and quickly establishing control. Aiden Davis sparked the perimeter attack with two first-half threes, including a deep shot at 0:56 that helped push the margin even further. The Hilltoppers' pace and defensive pressure overwhelmed Salem, resulting in 15 first-half turnovers and nine steals. By halftime, West Liberty held a commanding 61–32 lead, fueled by its transition scoring and bench production.
The Hilltoppers continued to pour it on in the second half. Dante Spadafora and Terrance Pankey Jr. connected on back-to-back threes in the opening minutes, stretching the lead while West Liberty's defense continued to swarm. The Hilltoppers forced 12 more turnovers after the break, generating 15 points in transition and keeping the tempo firmly in their favor.
Davis helped orchestrate several fast-break sequences, while Hayden Abdullah and Myles Montgomery controlled the paint with strong finishes inside. West Liberty's depth remained a storyline, with the bench contributing 38 points in the second half alone to seal the decisive win.
Spadafora led all scorers with 15 points and added three steals. Lattos turned in an efficient 13-point performance and came one rebound shy of a double-double. Montgomery stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points and six steals, while Davis knocked down three triples and added two steals to anchor West Liberty's perimeter defense.
The Hilltoppers return to action on Saturday at 4 p.m., hosting Point Park in their Mountain East Conference opener at the ASRC.