WKU Basketball: Tops Advance To CUSA Championship Game, Douses UAB 64–60

On the second day of their 2021 C-USA Tournament run, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers didn't let their guard down as a number one seed. A spot in the 2021 NCAA Basketball Tournament remained on the minds of Rick Stansbury & Company after a Thursday night 80–67 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners. Today’s opponent was no different but it adds fuel to the fire for a conference showdown with the second-seeded UAB Blazers in the semi-finals.

The opening tip was won by UAB, but it was Tavieon Hollingsworth who reaped the spoils early with two made free throws. After a back and forth battle between both teams via turnovers, Dayvion McKnight scored a triple for the first made basket for WKU. Strong offensive play by the Blazers kept the Tops defense in limbo, accounting for some hard-fought buckets. At the 7:47 mark in the first half, the Blazers led the game 20–17. The Blazers then increased to their largest lead of the first half with a 28–21 score. However, their lead was cut short as the Tops went on an 8–3 run to tie the game at 31. After another successful possession by UAB, they were leading the Tops at halftime, 34–31.

The second half started with the same lethargic play from both ball clubs. Charles Bassey scored a three-pointer to tie the game at 34 to start the half. The Tops eventually got back in the lead after another Bassey bucket, which was part of a 13–4 run The score was 44–38 at the 12:08 mark of the second half. Despite a couple of lead changes, the Tops remained in front as they were scoring in multiple possessions.

The Tops continued to lead until the final minutes as they closed the game with the third straight conference tournament championship appearance. The final score was WKU 64. UAB 60.

Charles Bassey started the game with a slow start but he heated up in the second half. He went on to score 20 points. Dayvion McKnight was the biggest story of the day as he played his best game in his freshman season as a Hilltopper. He scored 19 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. This was a huge plus for him as he was able to showcase his true talents.

Now the Tops will await the winner of the Louisiana Tech-North Texas semifinal game on Friday afternoon The championship round will be played with an 8 pm central time tipoff. The game will also be broadcasted on CBS Sports Network.

Here are the final stats from today’s win at The Star in Frisco: