WKU Basketball: Hilltoppers Shake Off Rust, Outlast Hornets, 79–74

The Hilltoppers had to overcome a 14-point deficit to open the season with a victory.

Western Kentucky opened the 2021/22 basketball season with a close call against Alabama State, needing to overcome a 14-point lead to defeat the Hornets, 79–74, in Diddle Arena Tuesday evening.

It was a slow start for the Hilltoppers, who took an early 5–2 lead over the Hornets but trailed for the final 16:23 of the first half as ASU used a 12–0 run to take a 14–5 lead with 13:39 to play.

Over the game’s first 20 possessions, WKU had just as many points as turnovers (nine) and they struggled to keep pace with the Hornets shooting while struggling to finish shots of their own on the offensive end of the floor.

After an 8–0 run by Owensboro native Trace Young to expand the Hornets lead to 32–18, Dayvion McKnight it a layup, setting the table for Josh Anderson to do what he does best.

After that moment, the Tops closed the half on an 11–4 run to trail 36–31 at the half.

ASU and WKU traded three pointers to open the half before the Hornets went on a 7–0 run to extend their lead to 12, 46–34.

That remained the status quo for a majority of the second half: It felt like the Tops were ready to make a run, only to either turn the ball over or have ASU hit a bucket to drain the momentum.

The tide began to turn in WKU’s favor just past the half-way point of the half, when WKU rattled-off a 9–0 run, cutting the lead to 56–54, the closest since it was 7–5 in the first half.

WKU tied the game on a McKnight layup and the Tops took their first lead of the second half on the ensuing free throw, giving WKU a 64–63 lead.

Things got unnecessarily interesting in the closing 10 seconds, when McKnight was fouled hard in front of the Hornets bench, leading to some pushing and shoving by nearly the entire roster for both squads.

After the free throws were awarded, the Tops led 77–74 and a couple of McKnight free throws seconds later sealed the deal in the 79–74 victory.

It was a stellar night for Jarius Hamilton in his WKU debut: He led all Toppers with 21 points and added a rebound and an assist.

Three other Hilltoppers finished with double-figure scoring totals: McKnight, who put together a quiet 19-point night, and Jaylen Butz and Anderson, who finished with 12 each.

WKU only went three-deep off the bench, with Sherman Brashear making the most of his 13 minutes, scoring six key points that helped propel the Tops’ comeback bid.

While not much of a factor on the scoresheet, Jamarion Sharp’s presence was felt on the defensive end just about every defensive possession he was out there for. By the time conference play starts, I think Sharp’s presence will be just as comforting in the paint as Charles Bassey’s was over the last three years.

Of all the things that were rough for the Tops Tuesday, free throw shooting is at the top of the list: After going just 3–10 from the charity stripe in the first half, WKU turned around and went 14–20 from the line in the second half.

With the year’s maiden voyage out of the way, the Tops now turn their attention to Minnesota as part of the 2021 Asheville Championship.