6:00pm: Sportsline with Tony Caridi

Fairmont State overcomes significant second-half deficit, tops West Liberty, 100-97

— By Taylor Kennedy

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — No. 18 Fairmont State fought back from a 19-point deficit to score an impressive win Saturday at No. 8 West Liberty, 100-97.

It marks the Falcons’ first victory at West Liberty since 2008.

“They are good, and we stay composed,” said third-year Fairmont State head coach Tim Koenig. “They shot the ball exceptionally well in that first half. It was gritty, and we figured it out. At times it was ugly. It isn’t easy to play them anywhere, especially here.”

A Bryce Butler layup put West Liberty (14-2) up by 19 with 12:46 left in regulation, but Fairmont State stayed its course and got the necessary scores and stops to win.

“With this team, they are going to go on runs,” Koenig noted. “We reminded our guys that it is a game of runs. They had so many possessions, and you will not play perfectly every possession. You will say that, but keeping a level head and doing it is different. I am proud of my guys for staying level-headed.”

Koenig believes that his team’s rebounding ability changed the outcome, despite the Falcons being out-rebounded 27-21 in the second half.

“[West Liberty] had 16 offensive rebounds for the game,” Koenig stated. “I do not know what the numbers say during that stretch, but we rebounded, and they did not. [West Liberty] physically dominated the game. Physically, we finally rebounded the ball.”

West Liberty’s full-court pressure caused havoc and mental errors, forcing 16 Fairmont State turnovers, including 11 in the first half. The Falcons cleaned up their act in the second half.

“Once you get in the game, you cannot mimic their press in practice,” Koenig said. “The returners have seen it and done it. [West Liberty] is good, and we knew they were going to go on runs.”

Fairmont State (13-2) entered the contest ranked third in the Mountain East Conference standings behind West Liberty and Charleston. Koenig views this win as a positive for conference tournament placement.

“Every win is big, but this one means more because they are ahead of us in the standings,” Koenig noted. “Every game for us is treated as the biggest game of the season. When a team is ahead of you in the standings, it counts for one, but we are tied with them now.”

Senior Isaiah Sanders netted 24 points, 23 of which came after halftime. The New Jersey native recalled his performance against Wheeling, and he did not want to have a repeat performance.

“We played Wheeling the other day, and I got into my head a little,” Sanders said. “I was frustrated going into the half, but I learned from the Wheeling game and did not let it affect me in the second half. The coaches told me to stay the course.”

“He mentally stayed the course,” Koenig added.

Former Fairmont Senior High School standout Zyon Dobbs led all scorers with 25 points, including shooting 75 percent from behind the arc. He also grabbed 11 rebounds.

“He did his job,” Sanders noted. “He is a dog. I have preached to him to be more aggressive, and I did not have to do that today. He rose to the occasion.”

West Liberty outscored Fairmont State 55-40 in the first half, in large part because it made 10 3-pointers. The Hilltoppers assisted on 14 of their 21 first-half field goals.

Fifth-year West Liberty head coach Ben Howlett thought his team’s opening half was its best of the season.

“The first half we played well,” Howlett said. “We were shooting at an incredibly high rate, and we were sharing the ball.”

The second half was a different story for the Hilltoppers.

“I know for sure that the second half was the worst half we have played all year,” Howlett stated. “We even touched on it at halftime that we cannot drop our guard and intensity. I thought we got comfortable.”

Butler led the way for West Liberty, tallying 23 points while shooting 61 percent. Sweden native Viktor Kovacevic posted a season-high 19 points, while connecting on four triples.





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