No. 9 West Liberty get back on track after putting an end to Glenville State College’s unbeaten streak.
West Liberty’s men’s basketball team (5-3) got back to winning ways this week in their 115-98 win against Glenville State College (5-1).
The Hilltoppers were coming off the back of a 74-78 loss against Charleston which came as their third straight defeat, an usual pattern for the reigning MEC Champions. Now holding a 5-3 record so far this season, West Liberty gave an impressive performance in what was a run away win against the previously undefeated Pioneers. The Toppers extended their impressive record against Glenville, having won the last 13 matches between the two. A fourth game in eight days for the hilltoppers quickly follows as they travel to 2-4 Davis & Elkins on Wednesday, to round off what has been a very packed week. WLU, who are undefeated in conference play against the Senators, will be hoping to build on this victory and continue their momentum as the second half of a condensed 16-game season quickly approaches.
Coach Ben Howlett will have been pleased with the energy and work rate shown by his players just over 48 hours after their last game. Key players Dalton Bolon, Will Yoakum and Pat Robinson III helped West Liberty rediscover their offensive abilities which has seen them average over 100 points per game over the past two seasons. The trio combined for 64 points while sophomore Bryce Butler and freshman Elijah Watson each finished with 10 points on the night. It was a much more productive night for the Toppers’ bench who added 39 points in comparison to just 14 in their last outing. It was also a memorable night for senior guard Luke Dyer who had a career high of 12 assists and zero turnovers in only 21 minutes on the court. West Liberty will now look towards Wednesday night when they take on the struggling Davis & Elkins. They will be aiming to start the second half of the season with a win and continue their momentum towards the upcoming MEC Championship.

Lady Toppers look to start second half of season with a win
Following Saturday’s away defeat against the undefeated University of Charleston (8-0), Ben Cooper’s West Liberty (2-6) aims to improve on their record with a win against Davis & Elkins (1-7) this Wednesday.
The Lady Toppers struggled to recover from a scoreless five minute stretch in the first quarter which saw UC put up 14 points and take control of the game with a 15-point lead. With 20 turnovers, the away side struggled to gain any real momentum in a game commanded by senior forward, Erykah Russell who was a standout for the Golden Eagles, boasting an impressive 31 points.
As they begin the second half of their 16-game season, WLU will be hoping to get back to winning ways as they take on the struggling Davis & Elkins, who come off the back of four straight defeats. They will need strong performances from senior guards Olivia Belknap and Audrey Tingle if they are to win their third game of the season. Belknap averages over 17 points per game while Tingle holds an impressive eight rebounds and seven assists per game.