EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The West Liberty men’s basketball team saw its 2024-25 season come to an end Tuesday afternoon in the NCAA Elite 8.

The Hilltoppers, who were seeded No. 2 among the quarterfinalists, missed a 3-pointer as time expired in regulation and fell to No. 7 Cal State Dominguez Hills, 86-84, at the Ford Center. West Liberty’s season ends at 30-5.

Cal State Dominguez Hills were down by 17 points, 60-43, before putting together a 25-2 run that tilted the game. The Hilltoppers last lead came with 12:44 of the second half after a jumper by Kyler D’Augustino gave WLU a 62-61 lead.

West Liberty held a 50-39 advantage at halftime.

D’Augustino led the Hilltoppers with 23 points on 10 of 20 shooting. Finley Woodward added 20 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while shooting 10 of 14 from the field. Harper, who made the final heave near half court as the clock hit zeroes, had 12 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out six assists, and added three blocks.

The loss ends another historic season for the West Liberty program, which eclipsed 30 wins for the seventh time in school history. The three wins the Hilltoppers collected on the way to the NCAA Elite 8 improved the program’s record to 19-1 in NCAA Tournament games at home. This season was the seventh time WLU has hosted the regional, and the Atlantic Regional title was the program’s eighth.

In early March, the Mountain East Conference announced its end-of-season honors, which featured D’Augustino and Harper on the first team, Woodward on the second team, and Ben Howlett as the Coach of the Year. Harper and Lanyc Shuler made the MEC All-Tournament Team, and Shuler also took home the Commissioner’s Heart & Hustle Award. Howlett most recently was named the Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.

The NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament continues Thursday in Evansville with the semifinals, both games which will be shown on ESPN+. Saturday’s championship game, scheduled for 3 p.m., will be a nationally televised matchup on CBS.