Battler Basketball Team Wins Fourth Championship in Seven Years

The Alderson-Broaddus Battlers are victorious once again! For the fourth time in seven seasons, under the direction of Head Coach Greg Zimmerman, the men’s basketball team has been crowned champions of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.

After going 21-6 overall throughout the regular season, including a tie for the league’s best record at 17-3, the second-seeded Battlers charged through the WVIAC tournament. The run culminated in a glorious 71-64 victory in the championship game against the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, WV.

 “Any time you win a championship, it is such a great feeling. I am so proud of these guys and what they have accomplished,” remarked Head Coach Greg Zimmerman. “At the start of the season, we thought we had a chance, but we hit a lull about a month ago. The guys had a private team meeting, and now after a 10-game win streak, we are conference champions, #20 in the nation, and headed to the East Region tournament on a roll.”

Several Battlers won individual honors for their hard work and outstanding performances throughout both the regular and post seasons, including:

First Team All-WVIAC:
Terrell Eargle (12.6 ppg, 7.8rpg, 5.4 apg)
Stan Hall (18.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.9 apg)

WVIAC Honorable Mention:
Jimmy Williams (14.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 53% FG)
Samario Clancy (7.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 52% FG)

All-WVIAC Tournament Team:
Terrell Eargle (MVP)
Stan Hall
Jimmy Williams

By virtue of winning the WVIAC tournament, the Battlers receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament. However, this is nothing new for the Battlers, as they have found themselves in the tournament all seven seasons since Coach Zimmerman took the reins.

“I have been around several great teams here at A-B and this one is no exception,” stated Assistant Coach Daron Washington. “These guys are very talented and have the will to win by playing well together.”  

After defeating Cheyney in the first round, the Battlers found themselves taking on the top-seeded Vulcans of California University of Pennsylvania. Despite a 17-5 A-B run to open the second half and push the A-B lead to 16 points, the Battlers fell at the hands of the home-standing Vulcans by a final score of 72-67 in the regional semifinals.

The Battlers finished the season with a 26-7 overall record and ranked among the Top 25 teams in the nation.  Congratulations to the men’s basketball team and thank you for another spectacular season!