Western Kentucky entered Thursday’s game against Gardner-Webb as a 20-point favorite, but the Hilltoppers didn’t run past the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
WKU survived a hot-shooting Gardner-Webb team making its season debut and got a career-high 29 points from Charles Bassey to come away with an 86-84 victory at E.A. Diddle Arena in a game that was a late addition to the schedule.
“Well, I think we know now why they were available to schedule a game, why nobody else has scheduled them yet,” WKU head coach Rick Stansbury said. “I know they had come out and that was their first game, but it’s very obvious they’re a very good team.