Western Kentucky chipped away and chipped away after a dismal first half Saturday night.
The Hilltoppers stormed back in front of rival Middle Tennessee, but then fell just short – just a few inches shy on the rim, it turned out.
WKU (11-11 overall, 3-6 Conference USA) rallied from a 19-point, second-half deficit but failed to close the deal in the final seconds of a 66-64 loss in front of a season-high 5,259 fans at E.A. Diddle Arena.
"I kind of thought we had that game, though," WKU junior guard Fredrick Edmond said. "We fought back from (19).