WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Feb. 26, 2018 — Hilltopper basketball is always fun to watch but at Saturday’s final home game of the season, a junior math education major, Nathan Steele, stepped up to score a big scholarship award during half-time festivities in front of the huge crowd assembled for the WLU vs. WJU rivalry game.

From left, WLU Foundation Executive Director Angie Hill, Chairman David Croft, Nathan Steele, WLU President Stephen Greiner and Vice President of Institutional Advancement Jason Koegler.

“It is great to see a student win a Foundation Scholarship! Helping our students is exactly why many of our board members got involved with the Foundation. We are so grateful to WLU Foundation donors for making this possible,” said WLU Foundation Chairman David Croft.

Steele’s hometown is Bellaire, Ohio and he played basketball in high school at Bellaire High, starting for three years. He also played for Ohio University Eastern before transferring to WLU.

“The Foundation Scholarship program is made possible by our generous annual fund donors. This year’s theme is Every Gift Counts and I know that Nathan would agree that it’s true,” said Executive Director of the WLU Foundation Angela Zambito-Hill. “Every gift given to the campaign goes right back to our students. Thank you donors for your continued support.”

Nathan made the big shot on his second attempt and displayed total focus as he hefted the ball and sunk it to the amazement of the crowd.

“I’m so happy. I knew it looked good but half-court shots are tough so I was thrilled,” he said. Nathan was one of three students randomly picked prior to the game and asked if they would participate in the half-court contest.

The two other students who participated included: Loren Hall of Huntington, W.Va., a freshman business major and member of the women’s soccer team and Tyler Anderson of New Martinsville, W.Va. a sophomore secondary education social studies major.

Nathan also is an assistant coach at Bellaire High Schools for the Big Reds this year, where he’s finishing his first year in high school coaching.

Former WLU basketball greats were part of the contest and acted as rebounders for the half-court contestants. 

The Hilltoppers men’s basketball team will be gunning for their second straight Mountain East Conference Tournament championship later this week. After receiving a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed, West Liberty will play in Friday’s 6 p.m. quarterfinal at the Charleston (W.Va.) Civic Center.

Click here to view the video of the big shot.

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