SAN ANTONIO — WKU Hilltopper Basketball survived a scare with some clutch play late Saturday, beating UTSA 71-65 for its fourth straight win overall and third consecutive road victory.
"You go on the road, it's never easy," WKU head coach Rick Stansbury said. "We knew this was a much better team than their record. They've been in every game like this, and they just haven't pulled out some games. I thought they had a little extra emotion playing without their point guard, but we felt like the other guys made their team better, and they did. But when you go on the road, you just have to find ways sometimes. We probably weren't at our best offensively in some ways, but the only stat that matters when you go on the road is finding a way to get that W."
The Hilltoppers (14-11, 6-6 Conference USA) fell behind 63-62 with 3:56 left, but got six straight points from sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight to reclaim the lead for good.
A jumper by senior forward Jairus Hamilton with 30 seconds left as the shot clock expired made it 70-65 and turned out to be the dagger.
"We were trying to focus on getting an easy, open shot," Hamilton said. "We were trying to get to the rim and get a foul call, but they stopped us from getting to the rim. I popped it, and they gave me the ball in good position, and I just knocked it down."
WKU got the lead to 30-18 with 9:37 remaining in the first half after back-to-back dunks by fifth-year senior guard Josh Anderson, but the Roadrunners (8-18, 1-12) trimmed their deficit to 37-35 at the break.
The Hilltoppers kept UTSA at bay until a 7-0 run midway through the second half gave the Roadrunners a 57-54 lead.
WKU responded with its own 7-0 run, starting with a 3-pointer by Hamilton and capped by a lob dunk from junior center Jamarion Sharp.
Jacob Germany put UTSA in front with under four minutes left with three straight free throws, but the Roadrunners had no answer for McKnight in the paint with his own 6-0 burst.
Hamilton and Anderson each had 18 points and combined for 13 rebounds, while graduate senior guard Camron Justice added 12 points and six boards.
McKnight finished with 12 points and six assists, and Sharp scored five points with 12 rebounds, including 10 in the second half.
Germany paced UTSA with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
The Hilltoppers finish their stretch of four road games in five outings at Southern Miss at 7 p.m. CT Monday. The game will air on ESPN+.
"Confidence is high right now," Anderson said. "We know what's at stake. As a team, we know what we can do, and right now we're just trying to go out and do it."
Med Center Health
The 2021-22 WKU Basketball season is proudly presented by Med Center Health. Med Center Health has served Southcentral Kentucky for more than 90 years, and its system of care includes six acute care hospitals, a comprehensive network of physician practices and clinics, and hundreds of area physicians offering care in dozens of specialties. From emergency treatment to preventative care, Med Center Health is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the communities it serves. Learn more at medcenterhealth.org.
Western Kentucky University Athletics
- Champions Climb Here
- WKU Athletics
- Athletic Director
- Academic Services
- Annual Report
- Athletic Communications
- Athletic Hall of Fame
- Athletic Training
- Big Red
- CLIMB Program - NIL
- Compliance
- Facilities
- Financial Reports
- For Students
- Student Employment
- Forms/Requests
- Book Big Red
- Donation Requests
- Site Feedback
- For Fans
- Hilltopper Highlights
- Gameday Promotions
- Alumni Tailgates
- Big Red's Rascals
- Basketball Gameday
- Football Gameday
- Mobile Tickets
- Travel Center
- Tickets
- Give
