A career-high 13 points by junior guard Jamaal Crook led the Hilltoppers to a hard fought win over visiting Tennessee State Monday night in E.A. Diddle Arena. In a see-saw affair that saw the Toppers trailing 24-23 at the half and by three with under five minutes remaining, WKU regained the lead and held on down the stretch to improve to 1-1 on the season.

WKU shot 40.4 percent from the field but committed 25 turnovers in the game. The Hilltoppers outrebounded the Tigers 32-29 with Akumune and Zollo each pulling down six to lead the way.

Crook’s 13 points led the Toppers while freshman Derrick Gordon added 10 points and five rebounds and freshman point guard Kevin Kaspar chipped in with seven points.

WKU head coach Ken McDonald stated, “I thought it was beautiful because we were on the right side. The guys battled. They really battled, and it was an exciting finish and a lot of guys stepped up. We made our share of mistakes. We had a lot of turnovers that were kind of careless, but we will learn from that. I was very, very proud of the team and how we bounced backed from different situations during the game and actually finished the game. It was a see-saw all the way through. A bunch of guys made plays at the end, and Jamal [Crook] hit his first career three. He actually, right before we went out for the game, he wanted to talk to the team. He said ‘I want to step up and I want to play better’ and what better guy to make a couple of plays down the stretch. I am very, very excited for him.”

The Hilltoppers return to action Thursday morning at 11:30 a.m. vs. Tulsa in the DirecTV Charleston Classic in Charleston, S.C. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.