WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Liberty's senior-laden men's basketball team demonstrated Sunday night that there's no substitute for experience when it comes to post-season play.

Atlantic Region Player of the Year Corey Pelle led four double-figure scorers with 23 points and fellow senior John Wolosinczuk dominated the backboards at both ends of the court and hit a back-breaking 3-point bomb in the final 90 seconds to key the Hilltoppers' 98-93 victory against upset-minded Shaw (N.C.) in an NCAA Division II regional semifinal at the ASRC.

“We have some guys who have played an awful lot of basketball over the past four years,” West Liberty head coach Jim Crutchfield said. “Shaw is a very good team that played great tonight but I thought we executed well down the stretch. We were making the plays we had to make and when John hit that big 3-point shot late in the game, I thought that was huge.”

The Hilltoppers will host defending regional champion and No. 2 seed Indiana (Pa.) Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Atlantic Region championship game with the winner advancing to next week's NCAA Division II Elite Eight at Springfield, Mass.

The Crimson Hawks beat Bowie State, 94-81, in Sunday's other semifinal to set up a rematch of last year's Atlantic Region final but the West Liberty coach and his players are focused on the present.

“Indiana looked great tonight,” Crutchfield said. “You can see why they were ranked No. 2 in the country coming into the season. They have a very experienced squad, too, and they're really playing well right now. It's a great opportunity and it should be quite a game.”

The Hilltoppers certainly had their hands full on Sunday as West Liberty led throughout the second half but couldn't put the hot-shooting Bears away until Wolosinczuk's clutch 3-pointer pushed the hosts out to a 92-86 lead with 1:25 to play.

Barry Shetzer then came up with a steal and hit a streaking Alex Falk for a runout layup that finally put the game out of reach, 94-86, heading into the final minute.

Pelle finished with 23 points and 6 assists while Wolosinczuk and Falk each donated 20 points to the winning cause. Wolosinczuk also contributed 9 rebounds, 4 blocked shots and 4 assists.

“I think John may be the best big-game rebounder, especially on the defensive boards, that I've ever seen,” Crutchfield said. “He pulled some huge rebounds for us tonight but he's done that his whole career.”

Shetzer rounded out West Liberty's double-figure scorers with 12 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists and a pair of steals.

Shaw – which shot a sizzling 61 percent (40-of-65) from the floor for the game – was paced by Raheem Smith's 36 points. Tony Smith added 20 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in a losing cause.

GAME NOTES

X Woloscinzuk set a school record by playing in his 121st career game Sunday night. Pelle and Shetzer made their 120th appearance in Black and Gold

X Sunday's game was Crutchfield's 100th home game at the ASRC. The Hilltoppers are 91-9 (.910) at home under Crutchfield

X West Liberty extended its home winning streak to 48 games and has now won 58 of its last 59 at the ASRC

X Indiana (Pa.) held off the Hilltoppers, 84-72, in last year's regional final, which was played at IUP

X The Crimson Hawks are 17-4 in NCAA Division II regional play and have won five regional titles