WKU Men’s Basketball could not hold off a second-half surge from the Kennesaw State Owls at VyStar Arena Wednesday night, falling 72-69. 

The loss drops the Hilltoppers to 11-10 (4-6 CUSA), their fourth straight loss.

The Hilltoppers’ bench came up huge, scoring 35 of the team’s 69 points. Senior guard Ryan Myers (12) and senior forward Grant Newell (15) led the charge.

In the first half, neither team was able to gain momentum early, trading points back and forth. The Owls were able to gain the upper hand, shooting 41% from the floor. 

WKU surged ahead early, 46-44 in the second half, off a three from redshirt freshman guard Kade Unseld.

The Hilltoppers rode multiple defensive stops and an aggressive offense to a 63-53 lead with five minutes in the game. Newell led the Hilltoppers in the second half with nine points.

Kennesaw State punched back, going on a 19-6 run in the final five minutes of play to close the door on the Hilltoppers. In the closing minutes, the Hilltoppers went ice cold from the floor, shooting 28%.

The Hilltoppers were missing the production from redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore and freshman guard Armelo Boone, shooting just 28.2% from the floor. WKU stayed in the game due to a stellar 90.2% mark from the free throw line. 

WKU will look to get back into the win column against rival Middle Tennessee State as they travel to Murfreesboro on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.