There are necessities that you don’t leave home without: Keys, wallet, and phone. However, for the Hilltoppers this season, they have added a win to that list.
WKU mens basketball picked up their ninth straight home win and their third conference win of the season with a 105-91 victory over the Florida International Panthers.
In a game where the Hilltoppers desperately needed a win to climb up the Conference-USA ladder, Dontaie Allen and the Hilltopper offense led a charge that the Panther defense was unable to keep up with.
First Half
It was an efficient first half for both teams. The Hilltoppers shot 57% from the field, while the Panthers shot 10-20 from beyond three-point land.
The Hilltoppers went into halftime up three, but not before a buzzer beating triple from FIU guard Javaunte Hawkins made the score 49-46.
For WKU, Dontaie Allen started the game off piping hot, as the senior guard had 14 points, shooting 4-5 from the field. On the other side of the floor, Brandon Newman was cleaning the glass for the Hilltoppers. Newman had five rebounds, including one offensive rebound, to accompany his nine points.
The wealth was divided in the Panthers offense. Arturo Dean was holding down the fort for FIU with his nine points, two rebounds, three assists, and five steals. However, Dean had four turnovers.
Team First Half Statistics:
WKU: 16-28 FG, 3-7 3FG, 14-18 FT | 18 Rebounds: 15 Defensive, three Offensive.
FIU: 16-39 FG, 10-20 3FG, 4-4 FT | 19 Rebounds: 11 Defensive, eight Offensive.
Second Half
The Hilltoppers started the second half off in dominant fashion. WKU outscored the Panthers 21-9 through the first five minutes of the half. This impressive run breaks down to mere simplicity… the Hilltoppers put the ball in the basket. As part of the run, WKU shot 9-10 from the floor, including 3-3 from three-point land.
The second half was all Dontaie Allen. Allen recorded a career-high 30 points, with 16 of them coming in the second half. The Falmouth native went 5-6 in the second half, shooting 80% from three.
“I mean, Dontaie does a good job of staying in the gym,” Coach Lutz said, “You know, nobody has ever lost confidence in Dontaie and Dontaie works hard. He does the right things and he deserves to be rewarded. So like, as long as he sticks with it, he’s going to continue to have his nights, you know, and I say that with all of them.”
For the Panthers, Dashon Gittens came alive with 13 second half points. The guard from Hartford, Connecticut went 4-5 from the field in his 12 second half minutes. However, with four minutes left, Gittens picked up his fifth foul, receiving his pink slip for the bench.
Full Game Statistics:
WKU: 39-60 FG, 10-17 3FG, 17-21 FT | 37 Rebounds: 32 Defensive, five Offensive.
FIU: 30-74 FG, 17-40 3FG, 14-15 FT | 31 Rebounds: 18 Defensive, 13 Offensive.
The Hilltoppers play host to Sam Houston next Thursday, their first rematch of the season. The Hilltoppers dropped their first game against the Bearkats, 78-74, but with the team’s home win streak, they look set to bounce back.
