HUNTINGTON, W.Va – Western Kentucky is making comeback wins a consistent theme.

After coming from behind in back-to-back wins over Old Dominion and Charlotte, the Hilltoppers recorded yet another comeback victory on Wednesday night – using a big second half to defeat Conference USA foe Marshall 64-60 at the Cam Henderson Center.

WKU (13-6 overall, 6-1 C-USA) played a sluggish opening half and trailed 39-25 at the break but turned its play around over the course of the next 20 minutes to record a fourth straight win – and an important one on the road.

Taveion Hollingsworth finished with 20 points for the Toppers, while Carson Williams scored 15 points and Jared Savage tallied 14.

Ira Bennett led Marshall (9-11, 3-4) with 14 points, while Jarrod West and Marko Sarenac each scored 10.

The two sides will meet again at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at E.A. Diddle Arena.

WKU started flat and dug itself into an early 7-0 hole, but a 9-3 run – highlighted by a Hollingsworth layup – brought the Hilltoppers within 12-9 at the 11:41 mark of the first half.

Marshall responded with another 7-0 spurt to go up 19-9 at the 9:13 mark, and West’s transition 3-pointer from the right wing gave the Herd a 28-17 lead. Bennett scored inside – and then knocked down a pair of free throws – to give MU a 9-0 run and a 32-17 advantage with 2:48 left in the half.

A pair of layups from Sarenac and Taveion Kinsey gave the Herd their largest lead at 37-18, and although Josh Anderson closed the half with a pair of free throws, WKU was still down 39-25 at the break.

The Toppers shot just 9-of-32 (28 percent) from the field and 2-of-10 (20 percent) from 3-point range over the first 20 minutes. Marshall shot 15-of-29 (52 percent) and 3-of-6 (50 percent) from deep in the opening frame.

WKU finished 22-55 (40 percent), while MU was 24-53 (45 percent).

WKU opened the second half on a positive note, using back-to-back 3s by Jordan Rawls and Savage to quickly cut its deficit to 39-31. Those two triples led to a 9-0 spurt for the Toppers and pulled them within 39-34 at the 17:34 mark.

West’s 3 at the 14:41 mark gave Marshall a 46-38 lead, but Williams answered with one of his own to make it 48-43. Sarenac hit one for the Herd to put them up 10, but Anderson fired right back with another to bring the Tops within 55-48 with 10:35 remaining.

Another 3 – this one from Savage – cut the Hilltoppers’ deficit to just five at 55-51 just over a minute later, and Williams made a pair of free throws to make it 55-53.

Savage’s triple from the left wing evened the scoreboard at 58-58 with 6:34 left, and a layup from Rawls put WKU in front 60-58 with five minutes to go – before another bucket by Rawls made it 62-58 at the 3:43 mark.

Kinsey’s layup trimmed the Toppers’ advantage to 62-60 with 2:19 to go, but a pair of Hollingsworth free throws put WKU up 64-60 with just 19 seconds left to seal it.

NOTES:

- WKU used the lineup of Jordan Rawls, Taveion Hollingsworth, Josh Anderson, Jared Savage and Carson Williams.

- The Hilltoppers have made a 3-pointer in 1,029 consecutive games – the third longest active streak in the nation.

- WKU is now 17-12 all-time against Marshall, and coach Rick Stansbury is 4-4 in his career vs. the Herd.

- Stansbury is now 368-214 in 18 seasons as a head coach and 75-48 in four years at the helm of the Hilltoppers.

- Announced attendance was 5,612 at the Cam Henderson Center.