INDIANA, Pa. March 19, 2019 – An NCAA Division II Elite Eight Tournament berth will be on the line here Tuesday when No. 9-ranked West Liberty pits its high-powered offense against the nationally-ranked defense of Mercyhurst (Pa.) in the championship game of the Atlantic Region men’s basketball tournament.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Kovalchick Center on the campus of Indiana (Pa.) University.
There’s quite a contrast in styles between the two programs who haven’t met on the hardwood for more than two decades.
The offensive exploits of Coach Ben Howlett‘s Hilltoppers (28-4) are well-documented. The only NCAA Division II team averaging more than 100 points a game this season (101.9 ppg.), they’ve already clinched an NCAA-record 11th national scoring title in the past 14 seasons.
Coach Gary Manchel’s Lakers (25-7) make their living on the other side of the offensive spectrum. Mercyhurst ranks No. 2 nationally in scoring defense at 60.6 ppg. It’s the sixth time in the last seven years that the Lakers have been ranked among the nation’s Top 10 defensive teams.
That defense was on full display in Sunday’s 75-65 semifinal round upset of top-seeded and No. 2-ranked Indiana (Pa.). Mercyhurst held the host Crimson Hawks scoreless for 8 minutes while building a double-digit lead in the first half and IUP never recovered.
Howlett, whose Hilltoppers had to battle back from double-digit deficits in their quarterfinal and semifinal wins, had that game in mind as he put West Liberty through a 90-minute closed practice session Monday afternoon at the Kovalchick Center.
“Considering the style of play, this will be an incredibly tough game for us,” Howlett said. “Mercyhurst is only giving up 60 points a game so they’re obviously going to be the best defensive team we’ve seen all year.
“Their inside guys especially impressed me with the way they attack the offensive and defensive boards. A big key for us (Monday) was boxing out and keeping those guys off the offensive glass. We can’t give them two or three shots on every possession and expect to come out on top.”
All-Region forward Patrick Smith, a 6-5, 240-pound senior, averages just under 10 points and 10 rebounds a game and is No. 4 nationally with an average of 4.4 offensive rebounds per game. All-PSAC senior Jason Massey is the team’s leading scorer at 16.1 ppg., doing most of his work in the paint. Guards Nelson Maxwell and Trystan Pratapas are dangerous perimeter threats, combining to shoot nearly 50 percent (113-229, .493) from the 3-point arc.
Hilltopper sophomore guard Dalton Bolon is averaging 25.0 ppg. while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor while senior forward Eric Meininger is scoring at a 16.5 ppg. clip with 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Freshman guards Will Yoakum and Yahel Hill are also averaging double-figures in a balanced West Liberty attack.
“I’m extremely happy to be here with this group of guys but we’re not content,” Howlett said. “We’ve put ourselves in position to play in the Elite Eight but we have to beat an incredibly good team to get there. We can’t wait.” Visit hilltoppersports.com for all the athletic scores, sports and news.
Atlantic Region Tournament Central
NCAA D2 Men’s Tournament Bracket