Western Kentucky (12-11, 4-6 C-USA) won their second straight conference matchup on the road, surging to a 77-60 win over C-USA east division opponent Old Dominion (9-13, 4-5 C-USA) on Saturday at Chartway Arena.
The Hilltoppers', who were previously below .500 on the season and on a five-game losing streak, took control this week on the road, defeating both Charlotte and Old Dominion to improve to 4-6 in C-USA play.
With tonight's performance, center Jamarion Sharp now leads the nation in blocks and has broken Chris Marcus' WKU single-season record for blocks.
Camron Justice led Western Kentucky's offense once again, dropping 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
Sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight was also a significant weapon for the Hilltoppers, recording 15 points, one rebound, six assists and four steals.
Luke Frampton was incredibly significant for WKU's offense in the first half, knocking down four consecutive three-pointers late in the half. Frampton was injured early in the second half and did not return. He finished with 14 points.
Junior center Jamarion Sharp recorded 11 points and five blocks.
Senior guard C.J. Keyser led Old Dominion recording 19 points and three rebounds and one assist.
Junior forward Kalu Ezikpe finished with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Sophomore guard Mekhi Long dropped 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
The Hilltoppers picked up 31 rebounds, six turnovers, 11 points off turnovers and 17 assists.
Old Dominion won the rebounding battle 36-31 while also recording 10 turnovers, four points off turnovers and 15 assists.
Halftime Synopsis
Redshirt senior guard Luke Frampton led Western Kentucky's offense in the first half, excercising his three-point shooting late in the first half with four straight. Frampton shot 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in the first half, tallying 12 points.
Dayvion McKnight finished the first half with six points and one steal.
Camron Justice recorded five points, three rebounds, four assists and one steal.
Junior forward Kalu Ezikpe paced Old Dominion in the first half with 10 points and five rebounds.
Sophomore guard Jaylin Hunter and senior guard C.J. Keyser finished the first half with five points. Hunter also grabbed four rebounds and three assists.
The Hilltoppers additionally grabbed 17 rebounds, turned the ball over three times, scored four points off turnovers and had six assists in the first half.
The Monarchs were winning the rebounding battle 20-17 in the first half while also recording four turnovers and eight assists.
Takeaways
Frampton injured: WKU took control late in the first half with a 14-2 run led by Luke Frampton who gave WKU's offense the spark it needed, landing four straight from beyond the arc. However, Frampton left the court limping early in the second half and would return to the bench with an ice-wrapped knee.
Camron Justice stepped up: After Frampton left early in the second half, Justice stepped up, scoring 13 points in the second half including three baskets from beyond the arc. The old man finished with 18 points total on Saturday to lead the Hilltoppers.
Sharp breaks record, leads the nation: The junior center from Hopkinsville was stellar against the Monarchs, grabbing 11 points and swapping five shots. Sharp now leads the nation in blocks with 101 and broke the WKU single-season block record that was previously held by Chris Marcus.
A different WKU team: The Hilltoppers', who were on a five-game losing streak, closed out this week's road trip with two dominant performances against Charlotte and Old Dominion. In both games, WKU has been efficient on offense, more urgent on defense, and have given more minutes to Isaiah Cozart and Sherman Brashear off the bench. No better time to get hot than right now because let's face it, Conference USA will once again be a one-bid league.
What's Next?
Western Kentucky will return to Bowling Green and is scheduled to host Florida Atlantic at E.A. Diddle Arena on Thursday evening. The opening tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and the game will air on ESPN+.
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