ATHENS, W.Va. — The No.19 West Liberty University men's basketball team returns to the road on Saturday, traveling to Concord University for a 4 p.m. Mountain East Conference showdown at the Carter Center.
West Liberty enters the contest at 11-3 overall and 6-1 in MEC play, sitting just behind Concord (10-4, 7-1 MEC) atop the conference standings. Saturday's matchup features two of the league's most efficient offenses and could have early implications in the race for the MEC regular-season title.
West Liberty continues to set the pace offensively in the Mountain East Conference, leading the league at 96.5 points per game while owning a +15.0 scoring margin, second-best in the conference. The Hilltoppers shoot 48.5 percent from the field, average 10.0 three-pointers per game, and rank first in the MEC in turnover margin (+9.9) and steals (13.1 per game).
The Black and Gold feature one of the league's deepest rotations, with nine players averaging at least 7.0 points per game.
Jamie Muldowney leads the team at 13.2 points per game, while Cameron Williams (10.0 ppg), Dante Spadafora (9.9 ppg), Peter Lattos (9.9 ppg), and Landon Butler (9.1 ppg) provide consistent scoring balance.
West Liberty is coming off a 94-83 home win over Glenville State, improving to 8-0 at home this season.
Concord enters Saturday averaging 84.8 points per game, ranking sixth in the MEC, while allowing 76.6 points per contest. The Mountain Lions are one of the league's best rebounding teams, leading the MEC at 41.4 rebounds per game, including 14.4 offensive boards per contest.
Kraig Gilbert leads Concord at 17.4 points per game, shooting better than 56 percent from the floor, while Boubacar Djigo averages 15.6 points and a conference-best 13.1 rebounds per game. Anfernee Hanna (14.9 ppg) and Micah Young (12.4 ppg) round out a balanced offensive attack.
West Liberty owns a 55-33 advantage in the all-time series and has won 14 of the last 16 meetings, including a 102-85 road win at Concord last season. The Hilltoppers also defeated the Mountain Lions 112-85 in last year's MEC Tournament quarterfinals.
