NORFOLK, Va. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball got up off the mat with a dominant weekend on the road, finishing the sweep with a 77-60 victory at Old Dominion on Saturday.
The Hilltoppers (12-11, 4-6 Conference USA) shot 50% against the Monarchs' stout defense, rolling to their second straight blowout win after previously dropping five straight.
"It was very important," sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight said. "We went ahead and got the losses out of the way. Feels good winning again, and by double digits. We needed these two road wins. What this means for us, we're back on the winning train, playing our best basketball."
Graduate senior guard Camron Justice led four Hilltoppers in double figures with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
McKnight added 15 points, six assists and four steals, while redshirt senior guard Luke Frampton dropped in four first-half 3s for 14 points.
Junior center Jamarion Sharp scored 11 points and blocked five shots, breaking Chris Marcus' WKU single-season block record in the process. He now has a nation-leading 101 blocks this season.
"It means a lot because it's not the first time and I plan on breaking more," Sharp said.
WKU trailed 20-13 midway through the first half, but finished the frame on a 20-6 run that included four 3s by Frampton in a three-minute span.
The Tops led 33-26 at halftime and quickly extended the lead to double digits.
A small run by Old Dominion (9-13, 4-5) trimmed its deficit to 10 with 4:46 to play, but WKU put the game away with a 10-2 run that included two lob dunks by Sharp and a dagger 3 by McKnight as the shot clock expired.
Senior forward Jairus Hamilton chipped in nine points and six rebounds for WKU, while fifth-year senior guard Josh Anderson had seven points and eight rebounds.
C.J. Keyser led Old Dominion with 19 points.
WKU returns home to host Florida Atlantic in a key East Division matchup at 6 p.m. CT Thursday at E.A. Diddle Arena. The game will air on ESPN+.
"The biggest key is, understanding situations," WKU head coach Rick Stansbury said. "You know? You don't get too high, you don't get too low, you stay the course. Now naturally, when you get hit in the mouth a few times, that's when you've got to be at your best. It's easy then to do things that's not in character. Our guys didn't do that. We stayed the course. We kept battling, and to go on the road and win at these two places, it's never easy."
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.
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