Western Kentucky (11-11, 3-6 C-USA) snapped a five-game losing streak on Thursday night, dominating Charlotte (11-9, 4-4 C-USA) 78-59 at Halton Arena.
Charlotte, who was previously 8-1 at home, never held the lead, trailing the entire game. The Hilltoppers stretched their lead by as much as 26 points in the final three minutes of the game.
In the first half, the Hilltoppers were 61% (17-28) from the field and secured a 43-19 lead at halftime.
The Hilltoppers' offense was led by Camron Justice, who dropped 22 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Josh Anderson finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, two assists and five steals.
Sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight recorded 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Charlotte was led by junior guard Jahmir Young scored 17 points, three rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.
Senior guard Austin Butler scored 14 points, six rebounds and one assist.
Robert Braswell IV finished off the night with 13 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Western Kentucky finished with 29 rebounds, eight turnovers, scored 19 points off turnovers and 13 assists.
Charlotte outrebounded Western Kentucky 33-29, turned the ball over 13 times, scored 10 points off turnovers and had 16 assists.
Halftime synopsis:
At the end of the first 20 minutes of play, Western Kentucky's offense was led by graduate guard Camron Justice, who had 10 points, three rebounds and one assist.
Charlotte native and senior forward Jairus Hamilton had nine points and one block.
Sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight additionally finished the first half with eight points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals while fifth year guard Josh Anderson had eight points, five rebounds, one assist and two steals.
Charlotte struggled on offense but was led by junior guard Jahmir Young who finished with six points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal.
The Hilltoppers were additionally winning the rebounding battle 18-13, recorded five turnovers, scored 12 points off turnovers and had eight assists.
The 49ers had 13 rebounds, nine turnovers, scored five points off turnovers and had six assists.
Takeaways
WKU didn't just win, they dominated: The Hilltoppers never trailed against the 49ers, racing off to a 27-8 lead in the first 10 minutes against a Charlotte team who was previously 8-1 at home. It's the kind of performance Western Kentucky needed to end a current five-game losing streak.
Three-Point Shooting/Defending: The Hilltoppers posted perhaps their best shooting performance all season, shooting 50% (9-18) from beyond the arc while holding the 49ers to 26% (6-23) from beyond the arc. Guarding the perimeter has been an issue for WKU in recent weeks and they turned their defense up a notch in tonight's win.
Justice, Anderson lead the offense: Justice and Anderson combined for 42 points. Both players were crucial to the team's domination of the 49ers. They were also a combined 16-of-26 from the field. Efficiency at its best.
Worth Noting: Aside from Josh Anderson, participation from WKU's bench has been relatively non-existent. Jumping out to a huge lead and dominating the game along with Jamarion Sharp's foul troubles allowed guys like Sherman Brashear and Isaiah Cozart to make a rare appearance in game action. It wasn't much, but it was nice to see the bench log some minutes and give the starters a breather.
What's Next?
Western Kentucky will travel to Norfolk to take on the Old Dominion Monarchs on Saturday. The opening tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and the game will air on ESPN+.
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