West Liberty, W.Va. -The University of Charleston came up just short in a tightly contested road battle at West Liberty, falling 89–84 on January 31. The Golden Eagles matched the Hilltoppers' pace for much of the night and led at several points, but a late West Liberty surge at the free-throw line proved decisive.
The Basics:
Location: ASRC
Score: UC 84 WLU 8
Records: Charleston 12-7 (8-5 MEC), West Liberty 17-3 (12-1 MEC)
 
How it Happened:
Charleston carried momentum out of halftime and briefly took control early in the second half. Hamilton Campbell scored on consecutive layups to give UC the lead, while Thomas Hailey continued his strong night attacking the paint. Trevor Barrett and Ben Nicol added key baskets during a stretch that saw Charleston build a six-point advantage midway through the half. The Golden Eagles' defensive pressure forced turnovers and created transition opportunities, allowing UC to stay aggressive against West Liberty's high-powered offense.

West Liberty answered with timely perimeter shooting and capitalized at the foul line down the stretch to regain the lead. Charleston continued to fight, trimming the deficit multiple times behind three-pointers from Eli Robertson and Campbell, while Hailey and Matthew Shelton added late finishes inside. Despite pulling within one possession in the final minute, West Liberty sealed the game with free throws in the closing seconds. Charleston showed resilience to the final horn, highlighted by a tip-in from Hailey at the buzzer, but ultimately fell by five.

The Golden Eagles finished the night with balanced scoring and strong effort on both ends, competing for all 40 minutes against one of the conference's toughest environments. Charleston will look to build on the positives from the performance as it continues conference play.

Up Next:
Charleston will head to Fairmont on Wednesday. February 4^th for a 7:30PM tipoff with the #14 Fighting Falcons.