No. 1 West Liberty 114, Bowie State (Md.) 82
Top-seeded and No. 1-ranked West Liberty (31-1) sprinted out to a 26-point halftime lead and never looked back in breezing to an Atlantic Region quarterfinal wins against CIAA Tournament champion Bowie State (16-14).
Coach Jim Crutchfield’s Hilltoppers, who shot a sizzling 67 percent (40-of-60) from the floor on the night, used a 12-0 run to take the lead for good, 30-21, midway through the opening half and kept right on rolling. The two-time defending regional champions took a 66-40 lead into the locker room at intermission and Bowie State, which rode a 7-game winning streak into the regional, never threatened again.
Atlantic Region Player of the Year Alex Falk had 20 points to pace a balanced West Liberty attack. Shawn Dyer came off the bench to match Falk with 20 points while adding 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Chris Morrow chipped in with 19 points, C.J. Hester added 15 and Cedric Harris had 10 points and 5 assists, all in the first half.
The Bulldogs were paced by Byron Westmorland’s 19 points while Najee White added 13 in a losing cause.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament
(at West Liberty, W.Va.)
Saturday, March 16
Regional Quarterfinals
Afternoon Session
Indiana, Pa. 76, East Stroudsburg 68
Slippery Rock 69, Winston-Salem State 67
Evening Session
WEST LIBERTY 114, Bowie State 82
No. 4 Fairmont State (22-8) vs. No. 5 Livingstone, N.C. (22-6), 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 17
Regional Semifinals
No. 3 Indiana, Pa. (25-5) vs. No. 7 Slippery Rock (23-8), 5 p.m.
No. 1 WEST LIBERTY (31-1) vs. Fairmont State/Livingstone winner, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 19
Regional Championship
Sunday’s winners, 7 p.m.
