WTRF 7 News Sports Weather - Wheeling SteubenvilleHilltoppers' Falk Wins 4th Player of the Week Award

 If the West Virginia Conference Player of the Week Award was a traveling trophy, West Liberty's Alex Falk would be well on his way to retiring it.

 A 6-4 junior guard for the No. 2-ranked Hilltoppers, Falk was selected as the WVIAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the fourth time this season on Monday after helping the Black and Gold extend the nation's longest winning streak to 23 games with a 3-0 week.

 The leading scorer on the No. 1 scoring team in the nation, Falk averaged more than 20 points a game in leading West Liberty to double-digit wins against regionally-ranked Alderson-Broaddus (107-73), West Virginia State (84-73) and Glenville State (103-88).

 Falk, the lone returning starter from last year's Atlantic Region championship squad, poured in 61 points while handing out 15 assists and coming up with 5 steals. He shot better than 50 percent from the floor for the week and was a sizzling 18-of-20 from the foul line.

 The Hilltopper standout is the only 4-time winner of the WVIAC Player of the Week Award but he's had plenty of company from his teammates as this marks the eighth time this season that the award has gone to a West Liberty player.

 Sophomore guard Cedric Harris is also a multiple recipient, having been honored twice this season, while junior guard Tim Hausfeld and freshman post C.J. Hester were also weekly award winners.

 The Hilltoppers play their final regular-season road game on Wednesday with a 7:30 p.m. trip to Wheeling Jesuit before closing out the regular season at home on Saturday with a 4 p.m. game against Davis & Elkins.

2011-12 WVIAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:

2/20: ALEX FALK (WEST LIBERTY)

2/13: C.J. HESTER (WEST LIBERTY)/Raymont McElroy (W.Va. Wesleyan)

2/6: Raymont McElroy (W.Va. Wesleyan)

1/30: P.J. Reyes (Charleston)

1/23: ALEX FALK (WEST LIBERTY)

1/16: CEDRIC HARRIS (WEST LIBERTY)/Kurklin Bohanon (Alderson-Broaddus)

1/9: ALEX FALK (WEST LIBERTY)/Isaac Thornton (Fairmont State)

1/2: Nate Barnes (Alderson-Broaddus)/Matt Miller (Seton Hill)

12/20: Kelsey Williams (W.Va. Wesleyan)

12/12: ALEX FALK (WEST LIBERTY)/Steve Custis (Fairmont State)

12/05: TIM HAUSFELD (WEST LIBERTY)

11/28: CEDRIC HARRIS (WEST LIBERTY)/David Ford (W.Va. State)

11/21: Chad Moore (Shepherd)

11/14: P.J. Reyes (Charleston)/Steve Catich (Wheeling Jesuit)