LAFAYETTE, La. – T.J. Price scored 23 points and Jamal Crook added 21 points and six assist to lift Western Kentucky past Louisiana-Lafayette 88-77 Saturday night in Sun Belt Conference play.
Brandon Harris added 16 points and eight boards, and George Fant scored 19 and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds to help Western Kentucky (15-14, 9-9) outrebound Louisiana-Lafayette 38-30.
After Elridge Moore's jumper cut Louisiana-Lafayette's deficit to eight, 30-22 with 7:54 left in the first half, Western Kentucky went on a 15-6 run to go up 45-28 with 2:42 left in the period. Price's 3-pointer and Fant's dunk capped the run, and Western Kentucky led at halftime 53-36.
Western Kentucky shot 60.7 percent (17 of 28) in the first half and led by as many as 19 points.
The Hilltoppers led by double digits most of the second half.
Elfrid Payton scored a career-high 31 points for the Ragin' Cajuns (11-18, 7-11).
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