The WKU Hilltopper Basketball team faced adversity from the jump on Wednesday night, but they battled for all 40 minutes and overcame it to beat the league favorite UAB Blazers on their own court, 80-78. Interim head coach Phil Cunningham, who stepped in for head coach Rick Stansbury, who was out due to a health matter, praised the team for their effort and leadership.
Cunningham noted that the team had to overcome a number of challenges throughout the game, including early foul trouble and an injury to key player Emmanuel Akot, who would not return to the game. Despite these setbacks, the Hilltoppers were able to maintain their lead and respond to UAB’s attempts to close the gap.
The Hilltoppers held the Blazers scoreless for the first three minutes of the game, creating a 7-2 run to open the game. Each time UAB attempted to cut into WKU’s lead, the Tops had an answer. They held the Blazers to just 37.9% from the floor, compared to their season average of 47.6%.
As the game progressed, WKU’s bench players stepped up to fill the gaps left by foul trouble and injuries. The bench outscored UAB’s 33-11, with 16 of those points coming from Jordan Rawls, who had a season-high and four assists.
As the clock ticked down, WKU’s Dontaie Allen hit a long-range 3-pointer with 30 seconds left on the clock, giving the Hilltoppers a 76-73 lead. UAB’s Jelly Walker would hit a 3-pointer with just over a second on the clock, but WKU staved off the Blazers’ final attempts.
The Hilltoppers will now return home for two games in a row, starting with a game against FIU on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. With the win, the Hilltoppers improve to 10-6 and 2-3 in Conference USA.
