ATLANTA — WKU Hilltopper Basketball did it for Bowling Green.
Less than 24 hours after a deadly and devastating storm ripped through the city and the region, the Hilltoppers turned in an inspired effort for a 71-48 victory over Ole Miss in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event.
“As great as this win is, as excited as we all are, our thoughts, our prayers, our hearts are still back in Bowling Green,” WKU head coach Rick Stansbury said. “All those people who lost loved ones, that's lost property, businesses – at the end of the day, this is still a game, and we’ve all got to keep that in perspective."
The Hilltoppers (6-4) dominated all facets in the neutral-site event at the home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, shooting 51% from the field and holding Ole Miss to 27%.
WKU outrebounded the Rebels 42-30 and outscored them 38-12 in the paint.
The win improved the Tops to 10-8 against Power Five opponents since 2017 and 4-1 against SEC competition. WKU has won a game against a SEC opponent in each of the last four seasons, while head coach Rick Stansbury improved to 22-8 against his old rival Ole Miss in his career.
Junior center Jamarion Sharp led the way for WKU with 16 points, nine rebounds and six blocks.
"Before the game started, I said I'm dedicating every last one of my points to the people and families in Bowling Green," Sharp said.
Senior forward Jairus Hamilton tallied 13 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, while fifth-year senior guard Josh Anderson chipped in 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting in his return from COVID-19 protocols.
Redshirt senior guard Luke Frampton scored 12 points, and sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight filled the stat sheet with eight points, a career-high 11 assists, eight rebounds and four steals.
With the game tied at 8-all, WKU went on a 21-4 run over the next 12 minutes, claiming a 29-12 advantage with 2:31 left on a lob dunk by Sharp.
Ole Miss (6-3) scored the opening basket of the second half to get back within 13, but they never came any closer. The lead swelled as large as 25 in the final two minutes as the Hilltoppers seemingly had an answer for every positive Rebels result.
"It was definitely an emphasis for us to just come out and play hard and just give the folks back in Bowling Green something good to look forward to," Anderson said.
Jarkel Joiner led Ole Miss with 13 points.
The Hilltoppers return home for two in-state games this coming week – Tuesday against Centre and Saturday against Louisville.
Tuesday’s game against Centre will tip at 7 p.m. CT, stream on ESPN+ and air locally in Bowling Green on WKU PBS.
Comments