HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Dayvion McKnight and
Camron Justice combined for 50 points, and WKU Hilltopper Basketball caught fire from 3-point range to pick up an 87-77 win at Southern Miss on Monday night.
The sophomore guard McKnight finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while the graduate senior guard Justice netted 6 of 10 3-pointers to finish with 24 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.
"What we talked about in the locker room before even stepping foot on the floor was walk out of here with a win and be happy with ourselves," Justice said. "We understand we're tired and beat up a bit, but that's no excuse for not fighting back."
The victory gave the Hilltoppers (15-11, 7-6 Conference USA) a five-game winning streak, including four road wins. It's the first time WKU has won four straight conference road games since 2017-18.
The Hilltoppers made 13 of 25 3-pointers as a team and netted 20 of 23 free throws. They handed out 17 assists against just nine turnovers.
WKU never trailed in the game and led for more than 36 minutes.
"I feel like it was us coming together as a team," McKnight said. "These last few games, we've been locked in offensively and defensively. It was a matter of time before things started clicking."
The Tops opened the game with a 9-0 run, but Southern Miss (6-18, 1-10) negated it with its own 8-0 burst to get within 22-21 with 11:09 left in the first half.
The Golden Eagles tied the game multiple times, the last at 38-all on a 3-pointer by Jaron Pierre Jr. with 3:04 remaining.
WKU responded with the final eight points of the half, including back-to-back 3s from fifth-year senior guard
Josh Anderson and senior forward
Jairus Hamilton to build a 46-38 advantage at the break.
Southern Miss chipped away again with an 8-0 run in the second half, but got turned away multiple times after pulling within one.
WKU's knockout blow came in the form of a 7-0 burst leading just 76-63 with 5:43 to play.
McKnight sank a free throw, and then Justice and redshirt senior guard
Luke Frampton followed with consecutive 3s to stretch the lead out once again.
"The biggest key is, is our guys ability to get back up for their third game in five days and have enough physical and mental toughness to come here and play against a really good Southern Miss team," WKU head coach
Rick Stansbury said. "As I said before the game, forget their record. … Any time you win on the road, it's not easy. In particular, that's our fourth road game in the last five games. That's four out of five on the road. These guys deserve a lot of credit. They're fighting, they're playing well and we're doing it with a short bench."
Frampton finished with 13 points and four assists, and Hamilton added 11 points and five rebounds. Junior center
Jamarion Sharp had seven points, nine boards and six blocks.
Isaih Moore led Southern Miss with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
The Hilltoppers have another quick turnaround, this time with two games at home. WKU will first host Charlotte at 7 p.m. CT Thursday at E.A. Diddle Arena. The game will air on CBS Sports Network.
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.
