The Tops never trailed as WKU (6-5) dished out a commanding win over NAIA opponent Brescia (7-6) 89-42 Saturday night in Diddle Arena.  

Freshman guard DJ Clayton led the way for WKU, leading all scorers with 14 points and seven rebounds. Clayton scored 14 points against Louisville last Saturday and has scored double digit points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

“The two things I was looking for tonight was energy on the defensive end and playing the right way on the offensive end,” Head Coach Ray Harper said on the IMG Sports Network. “I’m proud our guys played the game the right way.”

Clayton led WKU in scoring, but it was the Hilltoppers team play that helped them achieve their sixth victory of the season by such a large margin. WKU had a season high 24 assists against the Bearcats, the most since notching 26 to start the 2010-11 season.

Every Hilltopper besides freshman forward Ben Lawson scored in Saturday’s contest. Other players to reach double digit points included freshmen guard Avery Patterson who had a career high 11 points, freshman forward Justin Johnson (11), and senior forward George Fant (10).

“There is not one guy on this team that can’t play,” Harper said. “Avery had 11 points tonight, he’s a guy that has been getting better over the last week to ten days…Brandon Price is terrific, he does a little bit of everything…A lot of guys did some good things.”

Despite shooting 41 percent and 7-17 from the free throw line, WKU dominated Brescia in every category. WKU outscored the Bearcats in the paint 46-16, total rebounds 45-30, and bench points, 56-10. DeCarlos Collier led the Bearcats in scoring with 10 and was the only player from Brescia to score double digits.

WKU’s next game will be Monday at Diddle Arena against NAIA opponent Alice Lloyd (KY) College. That game will be the final non-conference game for WKU, facing Marshall on Sunday.