ATHENS, W.Va. — The No. 19 West Liberty University men's basketball team used a dominant second-half performance to pull away from Concord University, earning a 102–70 Mountain East Conference victory Saturday afternoon at the Carter Center.

West Liberty (12-3, 7-1 MEC) erased a slim halftime margin by outscoring the Mountain Lions 62–32 after the break, turning a two-point lead into a runaway win. The Hilltoppers' defensive pressure fueled the surge, as WLU forced 17 steals and converted 19 points off turnovers, while Concord (10-5, 7-2 MEC) struggled to keep pace.

The Hilltoppers set the tone early when Hayden Abdullah knocked down a three-pointer just 17 seconds into the game. Myles Montgomery followed with a steal and fast-break layup, helping West Liberty establish early momentum. The Black and Gold capitalized on transition opportunities, scoring eight fast-break points and controlling the paint with 28 first-half points, carrying a 40–38 advantage into halftime.

West Liberty wasted no time extending the lead after the break. Cameron Williams opened the second half with a layup, followed by two free throws from Abdullah and a three-pointer by Landon Butler. Montgomery continued to apply pressure on both ends, recording a steal and another fast-break basket that forced Concord into an early timeout less than two minutes into the half.

The Hilltoppers' depth proved decisive, as the bench contributed 32 points, while the defense racked up 10 second-half steals to maintain complete control. West Liberty steadily built its advantage throughout the half, closing out the game with authority.

Williams led the Hilltoppers with 18 points and four steals, while Jamie Muldowney added 17 points on an efficient 7-of-8 shooting performance. Montgomery finished with 15 points and seven steals, and Dante Spadafora chipped in 12 points and five assists to round out the balanced scoring effort.

West Liberty returns home on Monday, hosting West Virginia State in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at the ASRC.