Freshman George Fant had 20 points and 10 rebounds as Western Kentucky rallied to defeat Florida Atlantic 64-57 Thursday night, snapping a two-game skid and splitting the season series.
Derrick Gordon added 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Hilltoppers (9-17, 5-8 Sun Belt Conference), who trailed by as many as 11 in the first half en route to a 32-24 halftime deficit.
Western Kentucky took its first lead at 46-45 with 10:58 remaining, then the lead changed hands eight times. Trailing 53-52, the Hilltoppers scored six straight points - including four by Teeng Akol - then made 6 of 10 free throws down the stretch.
For the game, Western Kentucky made 19 of 27 free throws compared to just 4 of 5 for the Owls, who defeated the Hilltoppers 67-66 on Jan. 26.
Jordan McCoy scored 14 points to lead FAU (11-15, 7-6), which ended a two-game winning streak.
