West Liberty, W.Va. – The No. 8-ranked West Liberty University men's basketball team heads to Athens, W.Va., on Saturday for a crucial Mountain East Conference (MEC) matchup against Concord.

The Hilltoppers enter the game riding a 10-game win streak—the longest active streak in the MEC—following a 106-89 victory over Glenville State. In that win, Dante Spadafora delivered a career-high 29 points to lead a dominant offensive performance.

Saturday's contest marks a rematch of their Jan. 15 meeting at the ASRC, where Concord snapped West Liberty's nine-game series winning streak with an 85-77 victory. It was the Mountain Lions' first win over WLU since Jan. 20, 2021. Despite the setback, the Hilltoppers still hold a commanding 53-33 advantage in the all-time series.

A win against Concord would secure West Liberty at least a share of its eighth straight MEC championship—an impressive feat. Even more remarkable, it would mark the Hilltoppers' 11th title in the 12-year history of the MEC and their 15th in the last 16 seasons, dating back to their days in the WVIAC.

Both teams are also among the 10 programs under consideration in the initial NCAA Atlantic Region rankings released Wednesday, adding further significance to the matchup.

By the Numbers:

West Liberty boasts the top scoring offense in the MEC, averaging 97.2 points per game, and leads the conference in several key statistical categories:

• Margin of victory: +13.6

• Three-pointers made: 283 total (11.3 per game)

• Turnovers forced: 482 (8.76 turnover margin)

• Assists: 541 (21.64 per game, best in MEC)

• Assist-to-turnover ratio: 2.1 (best in MEC)

• Steals: 248 total (9.92 per game, second in MEC)

Individually, West Liberty has multiple standouts:

• Kyler D'Augustino – 6th in MEC scoring (16.8 ppg)

• JJ Harper – 11th in scoring (15.5 ppg)

• Finley Woodward – 3rd in assists (107, 4.3 apg)

• Lanyc Shuler – 4th in assists (101, 4.0 apg)

• Dante Spadafora – 1st in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.5)

• Shuler (2.9) and Woodward (2.3) – 2nd and 4th in assist-to-turnover ratio

• Spadafora – 4th in steals (45, 1.8 spg)

• Shuler & Harper – Tied for 5th in steals (41, 1.6 spg)

For Concord, Kolin Tolbert leads the MEC in scoring at 21.8 points per game and ranks sixth in rebounding (6.7 rpg), making him a key player to watch.

Game Details:

No. 8 West Liberty vs. Concord
Saturday, 4:00 p.m.
Carter Center – Athens, W.Va.
Records: WLU (22-3, 16-2 MEC) | CU (16-7, 13-4 MEC)

This matchup has major implications for the MEC title race and NCAA regional rankings.