The Fairmont State men's basketball team will square off versus No. 11/10 West Liberty for the 183^rd time on Saturday (Feb. 18) in West Liberty at 4 p.m.
 
With a win, the Fighting Falcons will have swept the regular season series versus the Hilltoppers, which has not been done since the 2003-04 season.

Fighting Falcons Facts

• The Falcons roared back in the second half to defeat Wheeling at Joe Retton Arena, 109-100 on Wednesday night after trailing by double-digits in the second half. Isaiah Sanders led the scoring effort for Fairmont State with 27 points.
• Fairmont State was listed under consideration in the Atlantic Regional rankings, which were revealed on Feb. 15. Entering Saturday, Fairmont State holds a 20-5 overall record and a 15-4 conference mark. Fairmont State is in sole possession of second place in the conference standings after Charleston fell to Notre Dame (Ohio) on Wednesday. Two games separate the Falcons and Hilltoppers in the conference standings.
• Fairmont State was tied for fourth place with East Stroudsburg in the latest D2SIDA Atlantic Regional poll released on Feb. 13.
• The Fairmont State offense ranks third in the nation in scoring (92.9 points per game) and eighth in three-pointers made per game (11.0). The Fighting Falcons lead the Mountain East Conference in field goal percentage (50.2%), three-point percentage (40.2%) and free throw percentage (77.5%).
• Isaiah Sanders continues to lead the high-powered Fairmont State offense. He paces the MEC in three-pointers per game (3.23) and ranks fourth in points per game (19.0).
• Sanders' 84 three-point baskets rank second in the country and lead the MEC. The Fighting Falcons' leading scorer has made 44.2% of his three-point attempts this season. Sanders was named MEC Player of the Week on Jan. 16.
• Sanders is 25 points shy of 2,000 points scored at Fairmont State. He started his collegiate career at Notre Dame (Ohio) and has totaled 2,348 career points.
• George Mangas' breakout season includes him leading the conference in field goal percentage (60.6%). Mangas is averaging 15.2 points per game, which includes his career-high 33 points on Jan. 25 versus West Virginia State. He has secured 48 offensive rebounds, which is the most out of any Falcon player.
• Mangas and Fairmont native Zyon Dobbs lead the Fighting Falcons with 133 rebounds. Dobbs has tallied the most assists (129) for the Falcons and is averaging 11.3 points per game. The Fairmont State guard has a 2.19 assist/turnover ratio, which is the best metric out of Fairmont State players who have participated in at least 10 games.
• Fonz Hale has hit 49 three-point baskets and has averaged 12.8 points per game. The Salem transfer has passed 98 assists and poked 33 steals.
• Briggs Parris, a shooting guard from Boones Mill, Va., has swished 45 three-pointers in his final college season. He has scored more than 10 points in 13 games this season and scored a season-high 19 points in the team's win at Wheeling on Jan. 11. Parris netted 18 points versus NDC on Jan. 7 and versus Concord on Feb. 4. The Fighting Falcons are 14-1 when Parris reaches double figures.
• Center Tariq Woody has posted a 65.3% field goal percentage this season. The Canton, Mich. native has made 98 field goals on 150 attempts and averages 8.9 points per game.
• Seth Younkin, a forward from Connellsville, Pa., swatted a season-high five blocks at Virginia Union and leads Fairmont State with 25 blocks. Younkin has racked up six multi-block games this season. He has pulled down 118 boards and is shooting 51.8% from the field.
• Freshman David Jolinder is averaging 8.4 points per contest and has totaled 22 blocks. He has scored more than 10 points in 10 games during his rookie campaign.
• Tommy Williams has appeared in 25 games and has totaled 19 steals this season. Williams has tracked down 47 rebounds and has dished out 16 assists.
• Tim Koenig is currently in his fourth season leading Fairmont State men's basketball and in his 10^th as a head coach. Koenig has won 174 career games as a head coach, which included a six-year stint at Notre Dame (Ohio).

 
Scouting West Liberty
Since being upset by Wheeling, the Hilltoppers have won seven-straight games including a 106-90 victory over Frostburg State on Wednesday. During their month-long winning streak, the Hilltoppers outscored their opponents 723-535 and averaged 103.3 points per game as a team. The high-scoring offense ranks second in the nation for scoring offense with 100.4 points per game. On the defensive side, WLU leads the conference with the largest turnover margin of 8.28. The Hilltoppers have forced 495 opponent turnovers and have surrendered 288 turnovers as a team.
 
The Hilltoppers are led by junior guard Bryce Butler who leads the MEC in scoring with 22.6 points per game. He ranks 12th in the nation for scoring and ranks eighth in the conference in rebounding. The reigning MEC Player of the Week scored 22 points and added three blocks and three steals to contribute to the defensive effort versus Frostburg State.
 
In addition to Butler, the Hilltoppers' lineup features four players who average more than 10 points per game: Malik McKinney (12.0), Christian Montague (11.8), Steve Cannady (11.4) and Ben Sarson (10.5). Montague has passed out a team-high 97 assists, while Cannady has recorded 39 steals to lead WLU.
 
West Liberty is led by head coach Ben Howlett who recorded his 150th career win as a coach in Wednesday's victory versus Frostburg State. Over the past six years, he's earned a winning percentage of .862 which is the highest percentage by an active coach across all divisions. Howlett also coached two NCAA Division II Academic All-Americans of the Year (Dan Monteroso and Dalton Bolton).
 
Last Matchup Versus West Liberty
Isaiah Sanders compiled a game-high 30 points and the Falcons shot 52.9% from the field and 51.6% from beyond the arc in a 101-76 win over the No. 8 Hilltoppers on Jan. 14. The loss was WLU's largest defeat since 2018. Sanders also led the Falcons with seven rebounds, five assists and four steals. Briggs Parris converted five three-pointers and George Mangas chipped in 14 points. Zyon Dobbs and Fonz Hale combined for 27 points and nine assists.
 
Series History
Fairmont State and West Liberty will meet for the 183rd time on Saturday, with the Fighting Falcons leading the series (98-84). Three of the last five games have been decided by three points or fewer. The last time the Falcons traveled to West Liberty, Fairmont State edged WLU 100-97 on Jan. 15, 2022. Dobbs and Sanders combined for 49 points in the hard-fought road win. The Hilltoppers knocked off Fairmont State at home in overtime, 110-107 on Feb. 19, 2022, and in the conference tournament semifinals, 117-96 on March 5. The Hilltoppers have won six of the last 10 meetings and 23 of 31 matchups since 2010-11.
 
Up Next
Fairmont State returns home on Wednesday (Feb. 22) and will begin the final week of the regular season by hosting West Virginia Wesleyan. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.