BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) - George Fant scored 24 points as Western Kentucky pulled away in the second half to beat Florida International 76-63 in a Sun Belt Conference game Thursday night.
Kevin Kaspar didn't start for the Hilltoppers (9-5, 3-0) but logged 17 points in 37 minutes, including three second-half 3-pointers.
Western Kentucky led 69-58 after two free throws by Brandon Harris, who finished with 13 points, including all seven of his free throws in the final 2:12.
The Hilltoppers, who had lost three straight, led 17-6 in the first half but the Golden Panthers (4-6, 1-2) tied it 33-33 at halftime.
Malik Smith led FIU with 20 points. Jerome Frink added 15 and Tymell Murphy 14.
Both teams lost recently to No. 4 Louisville by nearly identical scores. FIU, coached by Richard Pitino, lost 79-55 to his father Rick's squad on Dec. 19. The Hilltoppers lost 78-55 to the Cardinals last Saturday.
| Scoreboard | |||
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
| Florida International (4-6) | 33 | 30 | 63 |
| Western Kentucky (9-5) « | 33 | 43 | 76 |
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| Florida International Golden Panthers | |||||||
| STARTERS | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| T. Murphy, F | 39 | 6-11 | 2-2 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 14 |
| T. Akomolafe, F | 31 | 1-4 | 2-4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| J. Frink, F | 27 | 6-7 | 1-2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 15 |
| M. Smith, G | 37 | 6-13 | 3-4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
| G. Belardo, G | 27 | 0-5 | 0-0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| BENCH | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| J. Ferrales | 16 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| M. Porcher Jimenez | 15 | 1-4 | 1-2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| D. Hill | 7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J. De La Rosa | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 23-50 | 9-14 | 26 | 10 | 20 | 63 | |
| 46% | 64.3% | ||||||
| Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | |||||||
| STARTERS | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| G. Fant, F | 35 | 9-12 | 6-6 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| O. Akamune, F | 9 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| A. Rostov, C | 10 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| B. Harris, G | 40 | 2-4 | 7-8 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 13 |
| P. Blade, G | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BENCH | M | FG | FT | TR | A | PF | PTS |
| K. Kaspar | 37 | 6-10 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 17 |
| T. Price | 36 | 4-14 | 2-4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 12 |
| S. Drane | 28 | 3-4 | 2-3 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| T. Akol | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| E. Alcantara | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M. Vasquez | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| K. Jakes | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| S. Sheldon | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 25-46 | 17-21 | 29 | 15 | 14 | 76 | |
| 54.3% | 81% | ||||||
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