INSTITUTE — Dalton Bolon blew past the 1,000-point milestone with career-highs of 39 points and 9 3-pointers Thursday night as No. 2 West Liberty blasted West Virginia State, 131-100, at the Walker Center.

Coach Ben Howlett’s Hilltoppers (20-2, 16-1) hit their first six shots from the floor and were never challenged in handing the Yellow Jackets (12-11, 9-8) their first home loss since Dec. 6. The win gave West Liberty its 15th consecutive 20-win season while stretching its current winning streak to 13 games.

A 6-4 sophomore from Gnadenhutten, Ohio, Bolon became the 50th 1,000-point scorer in Hilltopper history at the 16:03 mark of the second half when he buried his eighth bonus bomb of the night off an assist from Luke Dyer.

He added a pair of free throws and one final 3-pointer before sitting out the remainder of the second half.

It was the third time in the last four games that Bolon had topped the 30-point mark, putting him at 505 points on the season and 1,005 points for his career.

Bolon scored 25 of his 39 points in the first half and West Liberty led by as many as 19 points before State tallied nine of the last 10 points to pull within, 61-50, at intermission.

The lead hit 21 points for the first time on Bolon’s 1,000th point less than four minutes into the second half and the Hilltoppers went on to lead by as many as 35 points down the stretch.

Will Yoakum backed Bolon with 22 points while Ariel Watson came off the bench at the end to score 11 points in the final seven minutes.

Senior Evan French, who played at Warren Local, also contributed 10 points in a reserve role. Eric Meininger made a run at his second triple-double of the season with 10 assists, 9 points and 8 rebounds before sitting out much of the second half.

West Liberty cooled off a bit in the second half but still shot 53 percent (49 of 92) from the floor and 56 percent (19 of 34) from the 3-point arc

Gus Stone topped WVSU with 25 points while Glen Abram added 17 and Pat Johnson-Agwu had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

The Hilltoppers return home to host the University of Charleston on Saturday. Tipoff for the Senior Day matchup is set for 4 p.m. at the ASRC.

Records Fall as Lady Hilltoppers Rout W.Va. State

INSTITUTE — The surging West Liberty University women made 13 3-pointers and shot 71 percent from the floor in the first half before coasting to a 105-68 victory at West Virginia State.

It was the seventh straight win for Coach Kyle Cooper’s Hilltoppers (16-7, 13-4), completing a season sweep of the outgunned Yellow Jackets (5-18, 4-13).

West Liberty used an 11-1 burst late in the first quarter to open up a 29-15 lead after the first 10 minutes before slamming the accelerator to the floor.

The Hilltoppers scorched the twine at a 78 percent (14-for-18) clip in the second quarter — including seven 3-point bombs — before jogging off to the locker room with an insurmountable 64-29 lead.

The 64 first-half points tied a school record for most points in a half. The 2009-10 Lady Hilltoppers jumped out to a 64-17 lead against Salem on Feb. 1, 2010 before going on to set the school single-game scoring record with a 117-39 win.

West Liberty continued to build the lead throughout the second half with the margin hitting 45 points, 100-55, in the latter stages of the fourth quarter, well after both teams had cleared their benches.

The Hilltoppers were just as impressive on the defensive end, holding West Virginia State to 35 percent (24-for-69) shooting from the floor and setting a WLU school record with 19 blocked shots. Seven West Liberty players were charted with at least one block but no player had more than four.

The Hilltoppers finished the night shooting 63 percent (41-for-65) from the floor and 55 percent (18-for-33) from the 3-point arc.

Marissa Brown made 13-for-14 shots to lead the way with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Ex-Linsly standout Morgan Brunner rained in 17 points while Taylor Johnson stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points — including 4-for-4 from the 3-point arc — to go along with 7 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals.

Brandi Beader hit 5 3-pointers and finished with 16 points and 4 blocks while Audrey Tingle added 6 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Johnie Olkosky hit her first three shots from the floor – all 3-pointers – to become only the 12th WLU woman with 200 career 3-pointers.

West Virginia State got 15 points from Lyrin Hatcher and 13 more from Anesha Harmon.

The Hilltoppers return home to host second-place Charleston on Saturday in a crucial Mountain East Conference test. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. on Senior Day at the ASRC.

Wheeling Jesuit clipped by Charleston, 80-73

CHARLESTON — The Wheeling Jesuit University men’s basketball team traveled to the state’s capital for a Mountain East Conference (MEC) clash against Charleston that ended in defeat for the Cardinals.

Freshman guard Franck Kamgain was the game’s leading scorer with 27 points. He converted four shots from beyond the arc and racked up a game-high five steals. Freshman forward DeAndre Robinson posted 19 points, six rebounds and five assists.

The first half was neck and neck until the final two minutes. With the game tied at 27 all, the Golden Eagles scored nine-unanswered points to go into halftime with a comfortable 36-27 lead.

The Cardinals battled back in the second half, getting to within two points of Charleston with 2:38 left on the clock. Kamgain split a pair of free throws with 39 seconds to play that pulled the Wheeling Jesuit back within three at 74-71, but the Golden Eagles were able to convert six of their final seven free throws secure the win.

Charleston 62, Wheeling Jesuit 57

CHARLESTON — The Wheeling Jesuit women’s basketball team was dealt a loss at Charleston in a Mountain East Conference (MEC) matchup.

Junior Khira Burton led the Cardinals with 23 points, including a career-high five 3s against the Golden Eagles. Junior Lauren Lipscomb notched 16 points, four rebounds and three assists, while senior Chenelle Moore returned to the court after a three-game absence to put up 14 points and nine rebounds in the loss.