FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Isaiah Sanders scored a game-high 30 points as the Fairmont State men's basketball team (12-4, 7-3 Mountain East Conference) earned a 101-76 victory over No. 8 West Liberty (14-2, 9-1 MEC) on Saturday (Jan. 14) afternoon at Joe Retton Arena in Fairmont, W.Va. The 25-point beatdown was the largest margin of defeat for WLU since 2018.
 
Sanders nailed seven shots from beyond the arc and led the Falcons in rebounds (7), assists (5) and steals (4). The Sicklerville, N.J. native did not commit a turnover and went 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
 
"I hit my first two shots and I was feeling good," said Sanders. "My teammates kept finding me and I kept making them. It was a good day for me."
 
Zyon Dobbs and Fonz Hale played a major role in organizing the Fairmont State offensive attack and finding open shooters. Dobbs tallied five assists and added 13 points, while Hale chipped in four assists and finished with 14 points and three triples.
 
Shooting guard Briggs Parris continued to be a threat on the perimeter, hitting five long balls. Parris finished in double figures for the eighth time this season. George Mangas contributed 14 points and forced a pair of steals. David Jolinder blocked three shots while scoring seven points and grabbing six boards.
 
Fairmont State shot 52.9% from the field and 51.6% from deep and held the high-scoring West Liberty offense to 35.9% from the field and 30.0% from beyond the arc. The Falcons won the rebounding battle 40-35 and capitalized on 21 points from turnovers compared to WLU scoring 16 off turnovers.
 
The score remained tight in the first half with both teams battling to gain an edge. After Parris followed his shot and secured an offensive rebound, Dobbs found Sanders open for a three that put Fairmont State up 26-23 with 10:26 left in the first half. The Hilltoppers broke open a five-point lead after scoring eight straight points. Sanders ended the run with his 17^th point of the half at the 7:51 mark. The Fighting Falcons jumped in front when Sanders poked a steal and Dobbs finished on the other end with a three-pointer. A Parris three increased the home team's lead to four and two made free throws from Dobbs and Sanders extended the Fighting Falcons' lead to eight. Sanders totaled 20 points in the opening half, and the Falcons led by eight heading into the locker room.
 
Fairmont State continued to put the ball in the hoop after intermission. A putback layup by Dobbs, a Hale three and a Mangas deuce boosted Fairmont State to a 7-0 run to begin the second half. The Fighting Falcons did not lead by fewer than double digits for the remainder of the second half. The Hilltoppers cut the Fighting Falcons' lead to 11 points twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Sanders' seventh three of the afternoon put Fairmont State ahead by 19 points. He converted a pair of shots at the charity stripe to increase the lead to 21. Parris made two threes in the final five minutes to seal the rivalry victory for Fairmont State.
 
"They [West Liberty] are a tough team," said Sanders. "It is always a great environment when we play and it is fun playing them."
 
The Fighting Falcons will host Davis & Elkins on Wednesday (Jan. 18) at Joe Retton Arena. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.