Hilltoppers Rout Charlotte 78-59 for First True Road Win

Thursday, February 3

Charlotte, N.C.

6 p.m.

Western Kentucky University

-1111,36 CUSA

Charlotte

-119,44 CUSA

Western Ky.

Charlotte

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Athletics

2/3/2022 8:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Josh Anderson/Camron Justice Press Conference Rick Stansbury Press Conference

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball led wire-to-wire Thursday night, snapping a five-game losing streak with a dominant 78-59 road win at Charlotte.

The Hilltoppers (11-11, 3-6 Conference USA) jumped all over the 49ers out of the gate and eventually led by 26 in the final three minutes.

It was WKU's first true road win of the season, coming at Halton Arena where Charlotte was 8-1 at home coming into the game.

"Biggest thing is, you never quit believing and keep working," WKU head coach Rick Stansbury said. "It's easy to get punched in the nose, the mouth five times and lay down. But our guys didn't lay down and we're not going to lay down. We've got good people and good young men. We came out, defensively, probably one of the most difficult teams to defend in this league with all they run. We were as good as we could be in the first half in particular. They had 19 points. But even the second half, for the most part, we were good. What you've got to be able to survive on the road is that teams are going to make runs at you. They got it to 12 and we spurted right back up to 18 or 19 in about a minute and a half. And that's what you've got to be able to do to answer."

Graduate senior guard Camron Justice led all scorers with 22 points, and fifth-year senior guard Josh Anderson added 20 points with eight rebounds and five steals.

Sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight filled the stat sheet with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists, and redshirt senior guard Luke Frampton knocked down three 3-pointers and scored 11 points.

"I feel like our preparation," Anderson said. "With us being down five games, we just had to come together and just keep going as a team and I feel like we did a good job of that."

WKU opened the game with a 7-0 run and got it to 14-2 at the 15:05 mark on a lob dunk by junior center Jamarion Sharp.

The Hilltoppers shot 61% in the first half, and McKnight's layup with eight seconds left made it 43-19 at the break.

Charlotte (11-9, 4-4) scored the first eight points of the second half, but Anderson countered with 10 straight points for the Tops, including a big steal and slam that made it 53-30 with 15:03 remaining.

The 49ers again later got back within 12 before Justice answered with a three-point play. Up 14, the Hilltoppers got another 3 from Frampton and four-point play by Justice to put the game away for good.

WKU shot 56% for the game and held Charlotte to 38%, while committing just eight turnovers. Jahmir Young led the 49ers with 17 points.

The Hilltoppers finish the road swing at Old Dominion at 6 p.m. CT Saturday. The game will air on ESPN+.

"Just getting back on our feet," Justice said. "Like coach just said in the locker room, we've been knocked down five straight times and one of those we've got to get up. I think we set the tone and the energy all night long, so I think that's just a testament to us and our spirit and our culture."

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.