Six players in double-figures scoring helped WKU Hilltopper Basketball notch its first win of the season Wednesday with an 83-53 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan in the 35th Annual BB&T Classic at Diddle Arena. WKU (1-1) had six players score in double figures for the first time since Jan. 21, 2017, at Marshall. They were one point by freshman guard Taveion Hollingsworth from having a seventh player in double figures for the first time since 2001 against Murray State.
Senior forward Dwight Coleby scored a career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds for his second career double-double and his first since 2015 as a sophomore at Ole Miss. Freshman forward Marek Nelson had 12 points and seven rebounds, and freshman guard Jake Ohmer scored 12 points. Redshirt junior guard Lamonte Bearden tallied 11 points and five assists, while senior forward Justin Johnson and senior guard Darius Thompson each scored 10 points. Johnson added seven rebounds, and Thompson chipped in four rebounds and four assists.
The Hilltoppers shot 43.5 percent from the field and made 19 of 24 free throws. They recorded 17 assists, 12 steals and scored 30 points off of 24 turnovers by Kentucky Wesleyan (1-3), which counted the game as an exhibition. WKU used an early 10-0 run to pull in front 20-7 at the 12:57 mark of the first half, then separated for good with another 10-0 burst in the first four minutes of the second half.
Evan Milligan paced Kentucky Wesleyan with 17 points.
(Courtesy WKU Athletics)