The Hilltoppers just came up short in their last two games and tonight was a good opportunity to get back into the win column at home. They were able to take care of business in a wire to wire victory, beating LA Tech 76-66.

Dayvion McKnight led all scorers with 19 points, hitting 7-of-10 field goal attempts. He also added four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. McKnight had an excellent game on both sides of the ball tonight and his impact on the game was evident from start to finish. Dontaie Allen also added 17 points to compliment his point guard, shooting 50% from the field and making four of his seven three-point attempts.

WKU (15-13, 7-10) came out swinging against the Bulldogs (13-15, 6-11), jumping out to a 17-4 lead early on. The defense was a strength in the first half, as they held LA Tech to just 33.3% from the field and 31.6% from behind the arc.

To complement the stellar defense being played, WKU was able to score with little resistance, shooting 50% from the field and also 50% from three-point land. They were in full control for the first 20 minutes, and they entered the half with a commanding 41-29 lead.

The story was mostly the same in the second half, only LA Tech found their rhythm on offense and made it a single digit game down the stretch. The Hilltoppers responded well against the run, as the lead increased to 16 with just one minute of action left.

WKU seems to have a groove when they play at E.A. Diddle Arena, but they'll need to find a way to translate that when they play road games.

IT WAS OVER WHEN: A Kenny Hunter layup with 5:28 remaining cut the La Tech deficit to 61-57, but after a timeout, WKU was able to regain focus and go on an 11-0 run to put the game out of reach. Dayvion McKnight was able to take over and make the necessary plays to put a lid on this one, due to his ability to penetrate the paint. Khristian Lander was able to step up in crucial moments and knock down four big threes, with three of them in the second half. This game becomes much harder to win without the shots he hit tonight, and hopefully his confidence begins to skyrocket after producing good results.

HE STOLE THE SHOW: Junior Dayvion McKnight was the best player on the court tonight by far, on both sides of the ball (excluding 7'5 Jamarion Sharp). He had 19 points on 70% shooting and it seemed like he was doing whatever he wanted to tonight. From mid-range jumpers to and-one finishes, he did it all and he was playing great defense the entire ball game. Once again, WKU is most dangerous whenever McKnight has a good game, because he sets the tone for the rest of the guys.

THE STAT DOESN'T LIE: WKU was also able to convert 12 of 18 of their free throws, while the Bulldogs only made three free throws the entire game, which makes it difficult for any team to have success.

WHAT A PLAY: In the midst of WKU's response to LA Tech's late game push, Khristian Lander had to create a tough shot deep in the shot clock over a feisty Bulldog defender. Lander pulled out a snatch to create space and he added a step-back before his three-point attempt went in all net, taking the heart out of LA Tech.

THE BOTTOM LINE: After losing back-to-back close ball games, WKU was able to play good on offense and defense to get back on track with a win at home. The Hilltoppers are a few tweaks away from beating any team in the conference. Great teams build off momentum and get hungry for more wins after getting one. We'll get a chance to see if WKU can cancel out those two previous losses with an entertaining home matchup against UAB, a team they've already beat this year. The guard matchup between Dayvion McKnight and Jordan Walker will be nothing short of fun to watch and they'll go at it on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. (CT) at E.A. Diddle Arena.

****

Talk about it on RED TOWEL TALK.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

Follow us on Twitter: @WKU_Rivals, @SeanW_Rivals, @robholmesiv, @TheCaseyWarner, @HanaLei91, @DBo83

Like us on FACEBOOK.