DRAWS THE FOUL INSIDE.
WESTERN WINS THIRD STRAIGHT, TURNS ATTENTION TO FLORIDA ATLANTIC GAME
Jairus Hamilton and the Western Kentucky men’s basketball team is starting to fulfill its considerable potential.
With seventh-year head coach Rick Stansbury away from the program, because of illness, finding a way out of WKU’s five-game losing streak was going to be difficult.
And then some.
Western Kentucky had four scorers in double figures and the Hilltoppers limited Florida International University to 35.5 percent shooting, including a 6-for-23 effort from the 3-point line, sending WKU to a gritty 70-59 victory on Saturday night before a paid crowd of 4,743 at E.A. Diddle Arena.
HAD FOUR BLOCKS AND SIX REBOUNDS.
It was the Hilltoppers’ third consecutive victory, and it puts interim WKU head coach Phil Cunningham and the team in the right frame of mind heading into Monday night’s game against Florida Atlantic University.
Tip-off for that game is 6 p.m. at Diddle Arena.
Western improved to 11-6 overall and 3-3 in Conference USA play, while Florida International dropped to 8-9 and 2-4, respectively.
With WKU sharpshooter Emmanuel Akot on the sidelines again with a hand injury, 6-foot-2 junior guard Khristian Lander made his first start with the Hilltoppers.
Lander provided a defensive presence at the 3-point line and finished the game with eight points, two assists and two rebounds in 24-plus minutes. Junior WKU guard Dayvion McKnight logged a team-high 35 minutes, 30 seconds and led the Hilltoppers with 14 points — on 6-of-14 shooting, including a 2-for-2 showing from 3-point range.
AS THE HILLTOPPERS’ INTERIM COACH.
WKU associate head coach Phil Cunningham also presented senior guard Like Frampton with a plaque for joining the Hilltoppers’ 1,000-point club, before the game, and at halftime, the 1952 WKU squad that won the Ohio Valley Conference championship was honored.
There were a handful of team members on hand, along with family members representing the deceased players, as well as longtime Western coach E.A. Diddle.
There were nine lead changes and eight ties in the WKU-Florida International tussle, and the Hilltoppers pulled away with a strong defensive effort in the final eight minutes.
“Sometimes, you’ve just got to find a way to win, especially in conference play,” Cunningham said. “We knew how good FIU’s players were. They’ve got a talented roster.
“We found a way to break through tonight, particularly defensively. It was a great finish, and we needed that going to Monday night and FAU.”
AND JAIRUS HAMILTON AFTER THE GAME.
Khristian Lander, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound WKU junior from Evansville, Indiana, said he was “excited” about making his first start with the Hilltoppers. Cunningham was encouraged by the team’s resolve and intensity.
“We did a good job, defensively, at the 3-point line,” Cunningham said. “We really wanted to see what Khristian can do … 24 minutes, good numbers, hit a couple 3s … In the second half, (backup WKU guard) Jordan Rawls came in, after the game got tight. Jordan has experience on his side.
“Our main thing all night was about playing hard, to keep playing hard. We could see some fatigue (in FIU), and we thought that ultimately, the wheel would break.”
The Hilltoppers will be back on the practice floor on Sunday before returning to Diddle Arena for Monday night’s game against Florida Atlantic on the Martin Luther King holiday.
WITH A LOOSE BALL LATE IN THE GAME.
Ailing WKU head coach Rick Stansbury had a video message for Hilltoppers fans on the university’s Twitter account earlier on Saturday.
“I know there hasn’t been a lot of information released on my health,” Stansbury said in the message. “I’m doing well and I look forward to returning to the team real soon once my doctor has cleared me.”
Cunningham said Stansbury is “definitely feeling better … we talk all the time.”
I’ll have a comprehensive look at the game on Sunday morning. Thanks for reading.
HAD 10 POINTS, 4 REBOUNDS AND 3 ASSISTS.
TEAM-HIGH 10 REBOUNDS AND THREE BLOCKED SHOTS.