West Liberty, W.Va. – The No. 1 seed West Liberty University men's basketball team is headed to the Atlantic Region Championship for the 11th time in program history following an 89-69 victory over Fayetteville State in Sunday's regional semifinal at the ASRC.
The Hilltoppers built a 10-point halftime lead, 39-29, fueled by seven three-pointers in the first 20 minutes. Fayetteville State stayed within striking distance by converting 10-of-12 free throws in the opening half.
West Liberty wasted no time asserting control after the break, opening the second half on a 10-0 run to extend its lead to 20 points. From there, the Toppers never looked back.
"Didn't think we brought our A-game today, but we brought a good enough game to win," head coach Ben Howlett said postgame.
Howlett credited WLU's relentless pressure for wearing down Fayetteville State, which was coming off an overtime game less than 24 hours prior.
"They just got done playing an overtime game, so I thought, 'Let's try to wear these guys down and play a lot of bodies.' I think we did that. You saw at the beginning of the second half—they cracked a little bit," Howlett said.
West Liberty's lead ballooned to 27 points at 71-44 with 10:29 remaining, sealing the victory.
Dante Spadafora and Lanyc Shuler led a balanced Hilltopper attack with 16 points each, while Kyler D'Augustino and Finley Woodward added 13 apiece. John Dragas chipped in 11, and JJ Harper contributed 10, giving WLU six players in double figures.
With the win, West Liberty improves to 18-1 all-time at the ASRC in NCAA Tournament games and 37-15 overall in tournament play. The Hilltoppers will be seeking their eighth regional championship, having previously won in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2021, and 2023.
Standing in their way is No. 2 seed Gannon, which defeated Virginia State 92-66 to advance. The matchup is a rematch of last year's second-round clash, where Gannon prevailed 103-88 in Erie.
Howlett emphasized the importance of sticking to the routine heading into Tuesday's showdown.
"We'll do our thing tomorrow—make sure these guys are rested and drinking plenty of fluids. Come Tuesday night, we're going to be ready to play," he said.
West Liberty and Gannon will square off Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the ASRC, with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.
Game Details
Fayetteville State: 69
West Liberty: 89
NCAA Atlantic Region Semifinal
Venue: ASRC
Attendance: 1,205
Records: FSU (23-9), WLU (29-4)
