BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Taveion Hollingsworth tied his career high with a season-high 30 points and Western Kentucky defeated Charlotte 80-63 on Saturday.
Hollingsworth made all 13 of his foul-shot attempts.
The 49ers led 39-38 at intermission and the game stayed close until Western Kentucky went on a 10-1 run and led 59-50 on Jared Savage’s three-point play. Luka Vasic made a layup to reduce the deficit to 60-55, but a 16-4 Hilltoppers run put it away.
Savage scored a season-high 20 points and had three blocks for Western Kentucky (12-6, 5-1 Conference USA), which earned its fourth consecutive home victory. Carson Williams added 15 points.
Jahmir Young had 14 points for the 49ers (10-6, 4-1), whose four-game win streak was broken. Jordan Shepherd added 11 points.
WKU takes on Marshall on the road on Wednesday. Charlotte plays Old Dominion on the road on Monday.
Cushing’s 3-pointer lifts Delaware over Elon
NEWARK, Del. — Reserve Jacob Cushing sank a 3-pointer with 2 seconds remaining and Delaware slipped past Elon 79-78 on Saturday.
The Blue Hens and Phoenix played the whole second half within four points of each other and after Marcus Sheffield II made 1 of 2 free throws with 17 seconds remaining Elon led 78-76. That set the stage for Cushing, who had six points in the game, nailing 2 of 3 from 3-point range.
Nate Darling topped Delaware (13-7, 3-4 Colonial Athletic Association) with 21 points, sinking 5 of 11 from 3-point range. Ryan Allen added 18 points and five assists, while Justyn Mutts scored 17 and blocked three shots. Kevin Anderson snagged a game-high 10 rebounds.
Sophomore Andy Pack came off the bench to score 16, hitting 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, to lead Elon (5-15, 1-6). Freshman Hunter Woods and Sheffield added 15 points apiece with Woods grabbing eight rebounds. Sheffield, the leading scorer for the Phoenix at 16.4 points per game, made just 3 of 15 shots from the floor. Hunter McIntosh pitched in with 10 points and seven assists.
Gensler scores 15 to lead Campbell past Longwood
BUIES CREEK — Cory Gensler scored 15 points as Campbell defeated Longwood 68-58 on Saturday to end a two-game skid.
Cedric Henderson Jr. had 11 points and nine rebounds for Campbell (11-7, 2-4 Big South Conference). Ja’Cor Nelson added 11 points and eight assists and Austin McCullough had 10 points.
Shabooty Phillips had 13 points for the Lancers (6-13, 1-5), who hasve lost three straight and shot 39% from the floor (20 of 51). Juan Munoz added 11 points and Jordan Cintron had 10 rebounds.
Jaylon Wilson, whose 10 points per game entering the contest ranked second on the Lancers, shot only 20% for the game (1 of 5).
Campbell matches up against Presbyterian on the road on Monday. Longwood plays UNC Asheville at home on Monday.
Stanley helps Hampton past UNC Asheville
ASHEVILLE — Ben Stanley had 33 points to outscore LJ Thorpe and lead Hampton to an 88-86 win over UNC Asheville on Saturday, ending the Pirates’ seven-game road losing streak.
Thorpe led the Bulldogs with a career-high 31 points plus nine rebounds.
Jermaine Marrow had 26 points for Hampton (8-10, 3-2 Big South Conference). Greg Heckstall added 11 points — including five in the final two minutes — and nine rebounds.
Heckstall’s 3-pointer with 1:46 remaining gave Hampton an 85-78 lead but the Pirates were outscored 8-3 the rest of the way, making only 1 of 5 at the free-throw line. A hurried 3-point attempt by Thorpe missed at the buzzer.
The Pirates (8-10, 3-2 Big South) shot 57%, their same percentage from the free-throw line (12 of 21).
Taijon Jones had 21 points for the Bulldogs (7-9, 1-4). DeVon Baker added 16 points and Lavar Batts 12.
Hampton matches up against Gardner-Webb on the road on Monday. UNC Asheville plays Longwood on the road on Monday.
Fleming’s career-high 31 leads Charleston Southern Over High Point
HIGH POINT — Phlandrous Fleming Jr. scored a career-high 31 points with five 3-pointers and Charleston Southern was 12-of-22 from distance in a 79-60 romp at High Point on Saturday.
Fleming. making 11-of-20 shots, led a hot-shooting Buccaneers squad that was 56% shooting from the field and 55% from distance, sinking 12 3-pointers. Travis Anderson and Ty Jones finished with 12 points each for Charleston Southern (9-9, 3-3 Big South), Jones adding seven rebounds and six assists.
John-Michael Wright led High Point (4-14, 1-4) with 14 points, Eric Coleman added 13. The duo was a combined 1-for-9 from behind the 3-point arc, where the Panthers finished 2-for-20.
Charleston Southern plays Presbyterian at home on Thursday. High Point plays South Carolina Upstate on the road on Monday.
Blount scores 29 as NC Central beats Bethune-Cookman
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jibri Blount had 29 points and 10 rebounds as North Carolina Central routed Bethune-Cookman 86-59 on Saturday.
Blount shot 10 for 13 from the field and converted 9 of 10 free throws.
C.J. Keyser had 18 points for North Carolina Central (7-11, 3-1 Mid-Eastern Conference). Deven Palmer added 12 points and six rebounds. Jordan Perkins had nine points and six assists.
Isaiah Bailey scored 23 points for the Wildcats (9-10, 3-2). Cletrell Pope added 10 points and eight rebounds.
North Carolina Central takes on Florida A&M on the road on Monday. Bethune-Cookman plays at North Carolina A&T on Jan. 25.
Perez, Jamison Jr. carry Gardner-Webb past SC-Upstate
BOILING SPRINGS — Jose Perez scored 19 points as Gardner-Webb beat South Carolina Upstate 83-67 on Saturday. Eric Jamison Jr. added 18 points for the Runnin’ Bulldogs, while Jaheam Cornwall chipped in 15. Jamison also had nine rebounds.
Nate Johnson had 14 points for Gardner-Webb (6-11, 2-3 Big South Conference).
Everette Hammond had 16 points for the Spartans (7-11, 2-3). Tommy Bruner added 14 points. Jatayveous Watson had 11 points.
Gardner-Webb plays Hampton at home on Monday. South Carolina Upstate matches up against High Point at home on Monday.
Little Rock cruises past Appalachian State
BOONE — Jovan Stulic finished with 18 points, Nikola Maric scored a season-high 17 off the bench and Little Rock breezed to a 73-57 victory over Appalachian State on Saturday.
Stulic knocked down 6 of 10 shots from the floor, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range, and added six rebounds for the Trojans (13-7, 7-2 Sun Belt Conference). Maric sank 8 of 15 shots and added five boards and three assists. Ben Coupet Jr. pitched in with 10 points.
Justin Forrest made half of his 14 shots and scored 20 to pace the Mountaineers (10-10, 4-5). Forrest also had a career-high eight steals. O’Showen Williams added 11 points and six rebounds.
Appalachian State shot just 33% from the floor, 31% from beyond the arc and made only 14 of 23 free throws (61%). Little Rock shot 54% overall, 41% from distance and made 10 of 13 foul shots (77%).
