Western Kentucky coach Ray Harper promised lineup changes Thursday and delivered.
The Hilltoppers (8-7 overall, 0-2 Conference USA) mixed up the starting rotation at home against Florida International, but those alterations weren't enough to avoid late struggles in a 75-72 loss at E.A. Diddle Arena.
"I don't know that we have a starting lineup," Harper said. "We just need to keep messing with combinations and see if we can find something."
Most notably, sophomore forward Justin Johnson came off the bench for the first time this season.
Johnson finished with a career-high 25 points, and he's on pace to become the first Hilltopper to average 17 points and eight rebounds in a season since Greg Jackson in 1978-79.