Archive for the ‘Basketball’ Category

Toppers’ comeback falls short in Final Four

Toppers’ comeback falls short in Final Four

By Tony Viola, Sports Editor For Hilltopper fans everywhere, the first 12 minutes of West Liberty’s Final Four matchup with Metro St. seemed like a living nightmare. The hundreds of Topper faithful who made the journey to Louisville, Ky. looked up upon the scoreboard in Freedom Hall in disbelief as WLU dug itself into a [...]

Hilltoppers’ season brings tremendous pride

Hilltoppers’ season brings tremendous pride

By Anna Patrick, Editor The West Liberty men’s basketball season ended one game too soon for the players, coaches and fans in Louisville, Ky. on Saturday. However, the team’s unexpected loss in the NCAA Division II Final Four against Metro State should not overshadow the team’s phenomenal accomplishments they achieved throughout their 34-2 season. The [...]

West Liberty falls in Final Four

The No. 1-ranked West Liberty Hilltoppers fell in the a Final Four contest against No. 3-ranked Metro State, 83-76, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky. The Toppers (34-2) dug themselves a big hole as the Roadrunners jumped out to a 20-4 lead in the game’s first 12 minutes.

WLU defeats Winona St. to advance to NCAA Final Four

NCAA Elite Eight 228

By Tony Viola, Sports Editor Before the Elite Eight matchup between No. 1-ranked West Liberty and Winona State, there were questions about how the Hilltoppers would handle the height of the Warriors. Maybe the question should have been how WSU would handle the Toppers in general.

WLU vs. Winona State: It’s going to be war

WLU vs. Winona State: It’s going to be war

By Tony Viola, Sports Editor NCAA Division II Player of the Year Alex Falk has a pretty good idea of what the Elite Eight matchup between West Liberty and Winona State is going to be like. “It’s going to be a war,” the senior said. “They’re good. They’re really good. I watched a little bit of film [...]

Is there a team that could beat West Liberty?

Is there a team that could beat West Liberty?

By Tony Viola, Sports Editor The following is a sports column for The Trumpet. Can West Liberty be beaten? It’s a question that looks even further away from reality than where Timmy Hausfeld shoots his 3s. “Everybody in the (WVIAC) has been trying to figure that out for the last couple of years,” University of [...]

Meet the Elite Eight

Meet the Elite Eight

By Nathan Johnson, Contributing Writer It is now down to the Elite 8 for the NCAA Division II men’s basketball championship. Here is some brief information on each of the remaining eight teams:

History repeats itself for this senior class

History repeats itself for this senior class

By Kyle Lutz, Staff Writer After the 2010-2011 season, the West Liberty Hilltoppers finished with a record of 33-1 and four seniors left the team due to graduation. Gone were the dynamics of Barry Shetzer, Corey Pelle, John Wolosinczuk and Jordan Fortney, all of whom were 1,000-point scorers. It then seemed it was time to [...]

Hilltoppers receive sending off

Team leaves for Kentucky 022

Staff members of West Liberty University cheered on the Hilltoppers as they departed WLU’s campus Tuesday morning for the Elite Eight. The team received an even bigger send off when they drove along National Road from Sheetz to Perkins to enter I-70 West. People decked out in their black and gold lined the sidewalks with [...]

CIAA has impressed in region and beyond

By Nathan Johnson, Contributing Writer At West Liberty, the athletic department focuses on their own conference, the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC), when it involves scheduling. However, a different conference in the Atlantic Region has interesting information about their schools and their athletic departments. That conference is the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).