ATHENS, Ohio (AP) — Mike Laster scored 23 points and all five of his free throws, Kevin Mickle added 17 points, and Ohio held off a late Western Kentucky run to win 89-84 on Sunday, ending the Hilltoppers’ three-game win streak.
Tevyion Kirk scored 17 points with 9 of 11 free throws and Ohio (5-4) made 31 free throws to the Western Kentucky’s 15 but was outscored 50-34 in the paint. James Gollon scored 13 points with three 3-pointers and Jason Carter added 12.
The Hilltoppers trailed by as many as 17 in the second half but rallied to within seven points on Marek Nelson’s back-to-back 3-pointers with 1:58 to play. Taveion Hollingsworth’s jumper made it a three-point game with 14 seconds to go, but Carter and Kirk each made a pair of free throws to seal it for Ohio.
Laster’s go-ahead free throw put Ohio up for good, 7-6, and the Bobcats led 42-30 at halftime behind Gollon’s 13 points.
Hollingsworth scored 19 points and Justin Johnson had 16 with 13 rebounds for Western Kentucky (6-3). Darius Thomspon, Dwight Coleby and Jake Ohmer scored 12 apiece.

Ohio U. Box
OHIO 89, W. KENTUCKY 84
W. KENTUCKY (6-3)
Coleby 5-7 2-2 12, Johnson 8-14 0-0 16, Thompson 4-11 4-10 12, Bearden 2-7 3-4 7, Hollingsworth 6-12 5-6 19, Nelson 2-4 0-0 6, Ohmer 5-13 1-2 12, Miller 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-68 15-24 84.
OHIO (5-4)
Mickle 6-11 5-5 17, Taylor 0-1 0-0 0, Kirk 4-10 9-11 17, Laster 8-11 5-5 23, Block 2-8 2-2 7, Carter 2-7 8-10 12, Gollon 4-7 2-2 13, Butler 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-56 31-35 89.
Halftime—Ohio 42-30. 3-Point Goals—W. Kentucky 5-18 (Hollingsworth 2-2, Nelson 2-3, Ohmer 1-8, Bearden 0-1, Johnson 0-1, Thompson 0-3), Ohio 6-19 (Gollon 3-6, Laster 2-3, Block 1-6, Kirk 0-1, Butler 0-1, Mickle 0-2). Fouled Out—Taylor, Ohmer, Bearden. Rebounds—W. Kentucky 32 (Johnson 13), Ohio 34 (Kirk 9). Assists—W. Kentucky 10 (Thompson 5), Ohio 12 (Carter, Laster 3). Total Fouls—W. Kentucky 25, Ohio 19. A—4,501 (13,080).