Middle Tennessee (14-6, 5-2 C-USA) took control early on in the first half and didn't look back, defeating Western Kentucky (10-11, 2-6 C-USA) 93-85 at E.A. Diddle Arena on Saturday.
The victory marks Western Kentucky's fifth straight loss as well as the first MTSU win over the Hilltoppers since March 1st, 2018.
Dayvion McKnight led Western Kentucky with 24 points, ten assists, five rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
Fifth-year guard Josh Anderson woke up in the second half to record 17 total points along with three rebounds, one assist, five steals and one block.
Senior forward Jairus Hamilton was a key performer in the second half, hitting two consecutive three-pointers late to make it a close game, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Josh Jefferson led Middle Tennessee on offense, recording a whopping 31 points along with three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Donovan Sims tallied 22 points, six rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block.
DeAndre Dishman chipped in with ten points, two rebounds, four assists, one steal and three blocks.
The Hilltoppers finished the game with 29 rebounds, 12 turnovers, 16 points off turnovers and 13 assists.
The Blue Raiders finished off the game ahead in the rebounding battle 33-29 while also recording 16 turnovers, scoring 13 points off turnovers and grabbing 20 assists.
Halftime Synopsis
Western Kentucky's offense was being led by McKnight who finished the first 20 minutes with 15 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Redshirt senior guard Luke Frampton, Hamilton and Anderson all finished the first half with five points a piece.
Sims was leading Middle Tennessee's offense with 12 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Josh Jefferson finished off the first half with just eight points before going off in the second half.
The Hilltoppers additionally grabbed 15 rebounds, turned the ball over seven times, recorded 12 points off turnovers and had five assists.
The Blue Raiders were winning the rebounding battle 16-15 at the end of the first half while also turning the ball over nine times, recorded six points off turnovers and had nine assists.
Takeaways
Trouble defending the perimeter: One of Middle Tennessee's strong suits was three-point shooting, which they proved early on in the first half. The Hilltoppers were unable to counter the Blue Raiders on the perimeter as they sank 15-of-26 from beyond the arc on Saturday.
Another day, another stellar McKnight performance: Just another stat-stuffing performance from the sophomore out of Shelbyville, Kentucky. Against the Blue Raiders, McKnight recorded 15 points in just the first half and finished with 24 points, five rebounds, ten assists, three steals, and just two turnovers.
Josh Jefferson was unstoppable: Jefferson was truly a thorn in the Hilltoppers' side, scoring 31 points on 8-of-11 shooting, that included 7-of-9 from the three-point line. It's hard to get a win against someone that red-hot from the field.
What's Next?
Western Kentucky will go on the road next week to take on Charlotte on Thursday and Old Dominion on Saturday. Thursday's matchup is set to tipoff at 6 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN+.
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