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LAKELAND, Fla. -- The West Liberty University men’s basketball team opened the 2026-27 season Saturday afternoon with a 109-92 loss to Florida Southern at Jenkins Field House.
The Hilltoppers (0-1) finished with 64 points in the paint, 19 second-chance points and 12 steals, but Florida Southern (1-0) used 14 3-pointers and a 19-for-27 performance at the free-throw line to secure the victory.
West Liberty shot 48.8% from the field (39-of-80) and scored 51 points in the second half. Florida Southern shot 62.3% overall (38-of-61), including 14-of-24 from beyond the arc, and held a 59-51 advantage in the second half.
The Hilltoppers traded leads with the Moccasins during an early back-and-forth first half, moving in front at 17-16, 20-19 and 24-23. Peter Lattos gave West Liberty its final lead of the half with a layup at the 9:32 mark.
West Liberty remained within five points at 42-37 following a Myles Montgomery layup with 3:03 remaining, but Florida Southern closed the half with an 8-0 run to take a 50-41 advantage into the break.
The Moccasins extended their lead in the second half, using nine 3-pointers to move ahead 72-53 with 12:07 remaining. West Liberty continued to attack inside, getting baskets from Lattos, Jamie Muldowney and Cameron Williams, but could not close the gap.
Lattos led the Hilltoppers with 16 points and 10 rebounds, recording a double-double while shooting 8-of-12 from the field. Muldowney also finished with 16 points, making seven field goals. Williams added 15 points, four steals and three assists, while Montgomery contributed 10 points, four assists and two steals.
West Liberty held a 16-8 advantage in offensive rebounds and converted those opportunities into 19 second-chance points. The Hilltoppers also scored 18 points off turnovers, but Florida Southern finished with a 40-36 edge in bench points and a 24-16 advantage in assists.
The Hilltoppers continue their season Sunday against Washburn at 8 p.m. in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Lakeland, Florida.