West Liberty, W.Va. – The No. 14-ranked West Liberty men’s basketball team put on an offensive showcase Wednesday night at the ASRC, rolling to a 118-76 victory over West Virginia State. The dominant performance secured a season sweep of the Yellow Jackets.

Explosive First Half

The Hilltoppers (16-3, 10-2 MEC) came out firing, pouring in 54 first-half points, fueled by eight three-pointers. They led by as many as 16, but West Virginia State (9-9, 6-6 MEC) managed to keep things within reach, trailing just 54-43 at halftime.

Second-Half Surge

Leading 66-55 early in the second half, West Liberty erased all doubt with a 14-1 run, surging to an 80-56 advantage with 10:16 left. From there, the Hilltoppers continued to pour it on, knocking down eight more three-pointers to finish with 16 for the game.

Standout Performances

Kameron Tinsley – 22 points (6 three-pointers), 9 rebounds

JJ Harper – 22 points, 10 rebounds (double-double)

Dante Spadafora – 18 points

Kyler D’Augustino – 15 points

What’s Next?

West Liberty will look to keep the momentum rolling as they travel to Charleston on Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. matchup.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The West Liberty University women’s basketball team secured a regular-season sweep of West Virginia State with a 76-69 victory Wednesday night at the ASRC.

West Liberty (7-12, 5-7 MEC) faced early struggles, shooting 0-for-8 from three in the first quarter while leading scorer Bailee Smith picked up three quick fouls. The Yellow Jackets (8-10, 4-8 MEC) capitalized, jumping out to a 16-7 lead after the first ten minutes.

The second quarter saw a momentum shift, as the Hilltoppers found their rhythm from beyond the arc. Olivia Baker caught fire, draining four three-pointers, leading a 22-10 WLU run that put the Toppers ahead 29-26 at halftime. Baker finished the half with 12 points.

West Liberty carried the hot shooting into the third quarter, opening on an 8-2 surge before an Anna Lucarelli three-pointer extended the lead to 40-28. The Hilltoppers continued to pour it on, outscoring WVSU 31-14 in the quarter to take a commanding 60-40 lead heading into the final frame.

West Virginia State didn’t go down quietly, rallying in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to just three points (72-69) with 17.3 seconds remaining. However, clutch free throws from Bailee Smith and Bailey Beckstedt sealed the win for West Liberty.