FRISCO, Texas - Even though Lincoln Memorial tried to help by missing six of eight free throws in the final 27 seconds, the West Liberty men's basketball team was unable to stun the top-seeded Railsplitters, falling 103-102 on Thursday in the NCAA Division II national semifinals.
The Hilltoppers, making their third national semifinal appearance in the last four seasons, had a chance to win with a second left, but David Dennis' 3-pointer missed the mark, allowing LMU to hold on.
West Liberty (31-4) and Lincoln Memorial (34-2) battled back and forth for much of the game. The contest featured 11 ties and 20 lead changes. The Railsplitters led by as many as 11, pulling ahead 48-37 with 6:25 left in the first half. The Hilltoppers rallied and pushed their lead to as many as six points. A pair of Dennis free throws with 15:05 left in the game gave WLU a 66-60 advantage.
The Hilltoppers were pretty accurate from 3-point range, making 10 of 24 (42 percent), but the Railsplitters were even better. Lincoln Memorial drilled 14 of 25 from beyond the arc (56 percent), led by Jalen Steele's 5-for-9 performance.
Seger Bonifant finished his West Liberty career with 44 points on 15-of-22 shooting. Gerel Simmons led Lincoln Memorial with 35 points, making 13 of 21 shots from the floor. The Railsplitters were able to dominate in transition, racking up 21 fast break points to West Liberty's six. LMU also blocked nine shots.