WEST LIBERTY - The more than 1,500 fans that attended West Liberty's ASRC on Saturday expected to see another tightly contested battle between the No. 3-ranked Hilltoppers and Wheeling Jesuit.

What they got was a 25-point blowout as Jesuit made the trek back down Route 88 after dropping a 101-76 decision.

The difference between this game and the five-point Hilltopper victory on Jesuit's campus a month ago?

Photo by Matt Watson

West Liberty guard Tim Hausfeld shoots a deep 3-pointer as Wheeling Jesuit defender Recardo Gaddy gets a hand up.

''They play better at home,'' Cardinals coach Danny Sancomb said. ''Most teams do.''

The West Virgina Conference champions led by double digits for the majority of the second half and three Hilltoppers finished with double-doubles as West Liberty coasted to a victory against county rival Wheeling Jesuit in a mutual regular-season closer.

''We just didn't play particularly well,'' Sancomb said. ''West Liberty did a good job, of course, but we kind of ran out of gas in the second half. With our double-overtime win Thursday against Charleston, we weren't very sharp (Saturday), even a little bit sluggish for a game in this atmosphere.''

The Cardinals (17-9 overall, 14-8 WVC) had not lost since falling to West Liberty on Jan. 26 and brought an eight-game winning streak into Saturday's contest against the newly minted four-time champs, who boasted a 12-game roll of their own.

After trading baskets to begin the game, the Hilltoppers (27-1, 21-1) used a 17-6 run capped by an Alex Falk layup that the senior All-American made almost lying on his back. Following the ensuing free throw, WLU led 23-14, however, after a 1-and-1 by Justin Fritts, the score was tied at 34-34 with 2:22 remaining in the half.

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West Liberty Men Keep Pedal Down