MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Marcos Knight scored 15 points and Middle Tennessee extended its winning streak to seven games, beating Western Kentucky 72-53 on Saturday.

Neiko Hunter finished with 13 points for the Raiders (18-4, 10-1 Sun Belt Conference). Bruce Massey scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out six assists and had four steals.

Middle Tennessee never trailed in the contest, going into halftime with a 30-23 lead. The Raiders had their lead trimmed to 42-36 in the second half when Western Kentucky's Kevin Kasper knocked down a 3-pointer with 14:01 left.

But Middle Tennessee distanced itself from the Hilltoppers (11-11, 5-6), outscoring them 19-3 over the next seven minutes to claim a 22-point advantage. Massey's layup with 5:43 remaining gave the Raiders a 63-40 lead -- their largest of the game.

Kasper was the only Western Kentucky player to score in double figures with 14 points and four turnovers.