Western Kentucky had Old Dominion down 11 points early in the second half Saturday night. The Hilltoppers didn’t finish the job.
The Monarchs ratcheted up their defense down the stretch, got some offense of their own, dominated the boards and claimed a 79-67 win at E.A. Diddle Arena.
The loss was WKU’s first in Conference USA play. The Toppers (9-8 overall, 3-1 C-USA) saw a five-game winning streak end and lost at Diddle Arena for the first time in seven home games this season.
“When you go up 11, you’ve got to be tough enough as a team offensively and defensively to put a foot on somebody’s throat and keep it there,” Hilltoppers coach Rick Stansbury said.