With just seven active players, the WKU Hilltopper Basketball team used a dominant second half Sunday and notched a 78-64 exhibition victory at Samford to open the season at the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham. The game was labeled the “Pack The Pete For Hurricane Relief” game, with proceeds being donated to the Red Cross Hurricane Irma Relief Fund for Florida. The NCAA granted numerous programs waivers to add an exhibition game with the proceeds going to relief efforts following a series of devastating hurricanes in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Despite having just seven active players in uniform, the Hilltoppers shot 56.6 percent from the field with 19 assists on 23 made baskets. They shot 65.2 percent in the second half and made 21 of 35 free throws overall.
Freshman guard Taveion Hollingsworth led five WKU players in double figures with 19 points. Senior forward Justin Johnson added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and graduate senior forward Dwight Coleby tallied 10 points (10 of 12 on free throws) and 15 boards. Freshman guard Jake Ohmer had 12 points, four assists and three steals, and graduate senior guard Darius Thompson flirted with a triple-double with 11 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and four steals.
(Courtesy WKU Athletics)