Western Kentucky officially tipped off its 2019-20 men’s basketball season Tuesday evening with a 76-64 win over Tennessee Tech at E.A. Diddle Arena.

The Hilltoppers (1-0) led 36-23 at halftime and remained in front throughout the second half to come out on top. WKU shot 26-of-52 (50 percent) from the field, led by 32 points in the paint, and forced TTU into 19 turnovers on the defensive end.

Here are a few takeaways from the Toppers’ opening night victory:

1. WILLIAMS IS A BRUISER

After leading WKU with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds – including a 13-straight-point outburst during a four-minute stretch in the second half – in Saturday’s exhibition win over Kentucky State, redshirt junior Carson Williams put together another big outing Tuesday.

Finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds, Williams – who has already become a fan favorite on The Hill – showed again just how physical and talented he is. Just as he is accustomed to doing, Williams was all over the court grabbing tough rebounds and being strong in the paint. He recorded a pair of and-ones early into the second half to give the Toppers a spark.

“Carson – that man’s a bully,” WKU junior guard Taveion Hollingsworth said. “There’s not much I can say about him. He showed how he plays.”

Expect Williams to continue doing what he does throughout the season.

2. HOLLINGSWORTH JOINS ELITE COMPANY

Hollingsworth joined elite company Tuesday by scoring his 1,000thcareer point in a Hilltopper uniform.

Needing just four points to reach the milestone, Hollingsworth scored twice in the first three minutes of the game to become the 50thplayer in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark.

“It means a lot right now,” Hollingsworth said. “To be out there with the top like Courtney Lee, it feels pretty good. I’m trying to do bigger things.”

3. DEFENSE SOLID ONCE AGAIN

Following WKU’s stout defensive outing against Kentucky State in which it only allowed 45 points, the Toppers’ defense was again solid in their win over TTU.

Giving up 64 points, Western forced the Golden Eagles into 19 turnovers and turned those takeaways into 25 points on the opposite end. Additionally, the Hilltoppers tallied eight steals and blocked five shots.

“There was some good and some bad,” WKU coach Rick Stansbury said about his team’s defense. “They had 23 points the first half. 2-for-14 from the 3-point line. The first half Tennessee Tech would’ve been 33 percent on 9-of-27 (shooting from the field). All that was good.”

If WKU continues to be that aggressive on the defensive end, it’ll continue to lead to success.

4. OUTSIDE SHOOTING WOES CONTINUE

The Hilltoppers struggled shooting the ball from outside in their preseason tune-up – and the case remained the same Tuesday.

Making just 5-of-15 shots from beyond the arc and starting the game 0-for-6 from 3-point territory, WKU hasn’t been able to find a consistent rhythm from deep just yet.

Stansbury said after Saturday’s game that his team has been successful at shooting from outside throughout the offseason, so it may just take some time for the squad to find its groove.

UP NEXT: WKU will be back in action Saturday when it hosts Austin Peay at 3 p.m.