Birmingham, AL (SportsNetwork.com) - Nick Norton netted 13 points to help his UAB Blazers ease past the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 71-66, in a Conference USA showdown at Bartow Arena Thursday.

Denzell Watts chipped in with 12 points for UAB (14-13, 10-4 C-USA), while Chris Cokley tallied a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Hakeem Baxter added 10 with five assists, and Williams Lee grabbed a team-best 11 boards in the win, which ended a two-game skid for the Blazers.

T.J. Price scored a game-high 22 points to pace Western Kentucky (16-9, 9-4), which has dropped three straight decisions to match the team's longest losing streak this season. Aleksej Rostov contributed 10 points with seven rebounds, and George Fant collected 10 points as well with six boards.

WKU nabbed a 31-28 lead at the intermission after the team shot 40 percent from the floor in the opening period. UAB hit on 38.5 percent of its tries in the frame.

The Hilltoppers dipped down to 37.9 percent from the field in the second half, and made just 3-of-12 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Blazers slightly improved to 39.3 percent shooting, and connected on 17-of-20 from the free- throw line to help the hosts push past WKU for the win.

UAB held a distinct advantage in bench scoring, 32-9, and also outscored the Hilltoppers from the charity stripe, 22-13, in the win.