Western Kentucky (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday night in an 88-62 blowout victory over Alabama A&M (1-4) to tipoff a five-game homestand at Diddle Arena.
The Hilltoppers dominated offensively from start to finish as several players made important offensive plays.
The most notable performances of the night came from sophomore guard Sherman Brashear, junior center Jamarion Sharp, junior forward Isaiah Cozart and senior forward Jairus Hamilton.
Hamilton helped get WKU's offense rolling in the first half with 13 points. The Charlotte North Carolina native finished the night with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Although not initially planned, Sharp started tonight in place of redshirt senior forward Jaylen Butz who was experiencing knee soreness. The Hopkinsville, Kentucky native was a game-changer for WKU as he recorded the third triple-double in program history.
Sharp had 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks. Sharp's high school coach, Tim Haworth of Hopkinsville, was at Diddle Arena to witness his standout night.
Sophomore guard Sherman Brashear came off the bench and made plays, leading the team in scoring with 18 points, two rebounds and one steal.
Isaiah Cozart scored two points in the first half but finished off the night with nine points and five rebounds.
Alabama A&M was led by junior guard Garrett Hicks with 21 points, two rebounds, three assists and four steals.
Junior forward Jalen Johnson was the Bulldogs' second-best offensive performer with 10 points, four rebounds and three steals.
The Hilltoppers showcased their shooting tonight going 33-of-59 (56%) shooting from the field and 12-of-25 (48%) from beyond the arc. Western Kentucky was 10-of-14 (71%) from the free throw line. Additionally, WKU outrebounded Alabama A&M 49-31.
Alabama A&M struggled from the field, shooting only 33% (25-75) and 27% (6-22) from the three-point line. The Bulldogs were more efficient in handling the ball, only committing 11 turnovers whereas the Hilltoppers had 20 turnovers.
Although Alabama A&M found themselves up 2-0 on WKU at the start of the game, the Hilltoppers were quickly off to a 9-2 lead over the Bulldogs with 3-of-3 shooting.
At 12:15 in the first half, WKU was on a 21-5 run while Alabama A&M started just 2-of-11 from the field.
With less than five minutes left to play, Sharp excited the crowd at Diddle Arena with a dunk to end a nearly two-minute scoring drought for the Hilltoppers.
The Hilltoppers held a commanding 47-25 lead over the Bulldogs at halftime.
At the break, Hamilton led the Hilltoppers’ offensively with 13 points. Luke Frampton had 10 points in the first twenty minutes for WKU
Alabama A&M’s offense was led by Hicks who had 11 points, one rebound, two assists and one steal.
Junior center EJ Williams contributed as well with four points, two rebounds and one assist.
With 11:49 remaining, a put back dunk by Cozart ended a nearly three-minute scoring drought to put the Hilltoppers up 59-43.
An allyoop dunk by Jamarion Sharp at the 4:00 mark extended the WKU lead to 79-58.
Sherman Brashear scored the next seven points for the Hilltoppers to help put the game away as WKU defeated Alabama A&M 88-62 to snap a three-game losing streak.
WKU is back in action at Diddle Arena this Saturday as they continue their homestand against UT Martin. The game is set for a 12 p.m. tipoff.
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