Freshman guard Jamal Crook blocks a University of New Orleans pass attempt in the first half of Western's home game on Saturday afternoon. Western won 76-56. CHRIS WILSON/Herald

Western’s season-opening starting lineup didn’t include freshman guards Jamal Crook and Caden Dickerson.

It didn’t need to.

Back then, senior guard A.J. Slaughter carried the scoring load. Senior guard Anthony Sally dished out assists. And junior forward Sergio Kerusch pitched in on the glass.

Then Kerusch went down with a foot injury, and Sally started turning the ball over.

Enter Crook and Dickerson.

In a matter of months, the two have risen from the bench to become regular starters for the Toppers (12-10, 5-5 Sun Belt Conference) in their first season, peaking with career-highs in points last Saturday against New Orleans. Head Coach Ken McDonald said the team — Sally in particular — has accepted two freshmen in the starting lineup.

“(Sally) didn’t really disagree or fight that decision whatsoever,” McDonald said of the point guard spot. “Then when I tried to put Sally back into the lineup as a starter, he didn’t want to. He liked the fact that Jamal was starting us off.

“So there’s been nothing but confidence by Jamal’s teammates that he can get the job done.”

Crook scored 11 points against the Privateers and Dickerson added 14, putting him in double figures scoring three of the Toppers’ last five games.

Western’s season-opening starting lineup didn’t include freshman guards Jamal Crook and Caden Dickerson.

It didn’t need to.

Back then, senior guard A.J. Slaughter carried the scoring load. Senior guard Anthony Sally dished out assists. And junior forward Sergio Kerusch pitched in on the glass.

Then Kerusch went down with a foot injury, and Sally started turning the ball over.

In a matter of months, the two have risen from the bench to become regular starters for the Toppers (12-10, 5-5 Sun Belt Conference) in their first season, peaking with career-highs in points last Saturday against New Orleans. Head Coach Ken McDonald said the team — Sally in particular — has accepted two freshmen in the starting lineup.

“(Sally) didn’t really disagree or fight that decision whatsoever,” McDonald said of the point guard spot. “Then when I tried to put Sally back into the lineup as a starter, he didn’t want to. He liked the fact that Jamal was starting us off.

“So there’s been nothing but confidence by Jamal’s teammates that he can get the job done.”

Crook scored 11 points against the Privateers and Dickerson added 14, putting him in double figures scoring three of the Toppers’ last five games.

The toughest adjustment to make to the college game was to the speed and physicality, according to Dickerson. But from the start, the freshman from Argyle, Texas, has had the green light to shoot.

Dickerson said it’s just been dropping more lately.

“It’s always good to see your shots fall, and as the game goes on I’m getting more confident,” Dickerson said. “(The coaches) are always telling me to shoot it, so that’s what I’m doing.”

Crook, however, has struggled with his jumper this season, shooting just 32 percent through Saturday’s New Orleans game. But against the Privateers, the Louisville freshman shot 5-of-7 from the field in a performance he called “outstanding.”

“I felt great about it, so I just hope coach can gain his trust with me, and we’ll continue from there,” Crook said.

And as the season draws on, Crook hopes to stay on the court as he fights through rough patches, both handling and shooting the ball.

According to Crook, the coaching staff and even players have talked to him this season about learning to take control of the team.

Ultimately, Crook said his scoring will help more than just his own stat line, freeing up post players and taking the ever-present weight off Slaughter’s shoulders.

“We need to be able to give a scoring threat so it takes that pressure off A.J. and Pettigrew,” Dickerson said. “It gives them a little breather.”

Senior forward Jeremy Evans puts up two points in the first half to give Western an early lead against the University of New Orleans on Saturday afternoon in Diddle Arena. Western won 76-56. CHRIS WILSON/Herald

If the Toppers were still looking for leadership heading into Saturday’s game against New Orleans, they may have found some in two of the youngest players on the court.

Freshman guards Jamal Crook and Caden Dickerson recorded career highs in points to lead Western (12-10, 5-5 Sun Belt Conference) over the Privateers 76-56 in Diddle Arena, snapping a five-game losing streak that dates back to Jan. 18.

Head Coach Ken McDonald, who has called for someone besides senior guard A.J. Slaughter to step up at the guard spot, said he was happy with how the freshmen handled themselves on the defensive end. He added that this was one step closer to putting together a 40-minute effort, and that started on the defensive end.

“Jamal Crook was terrific with his deflections and how active he is. You see how long and athletic he is when he wants to be,” McDonald said. “When you have guards that are willing to get out there and pressure and do things, it kind of energizes everybody.

“I thought, overall, there was just a lot more intensity on the defensive end.”

Dickerson tallied 14 points in 34 minutes played, and Crook finished with 11 points in 24 minutes in a performance that he self-graded as “outstanding.”

Slaughter agreed.

“Yeah, I’ll give it to him — he played a real good game,” Slaughter said.

Crook considered his game a statement, both to McDonald that he’s a trustworthy point guard and his teammates, who have seen Crook come from the bench to take senior guard Anthony Sally’s starting spot away.

But that started, according to Crook, by listening to some advice.

“The main thing was that Coach wanted me to come out with high energy, so I did that,” Crook said. “I just wanted to show the guys what I was capable of doing as a freshman coming in.”

New Orleans (7-15, 2-9 Sun Belt) took a 43-36 deficit into halftime — a margin Western only increased throughout the second half.

Slaughter hit a three-pointer on the Toppers’ first field-goal attempt out of the locker room, and junior forward Steffphon Pettigrew pushed the lead to 10 points, 50-40, on a pull-up jumper with 18:30 to play.

Western led by as many as 23 points in the second half, emptying the bench nearly to the point where injured junior forward Sergio Kerusch jokingly made an attempt to enter the game with less than a minute left.

For the game, the Toppers shot 48.3 percent and earned 25 points off turnovers, pressuring the guard-oriented Privateers into 25 turnovers.

Junior forward Jeremy Evans scored 10 of Western’s first 12 points, reaching double figures with 14:33 to play in the first half.

But the Privateers matched, going blow for blow with the Toppers until two Crook’s nine first-half points pushed Western ahead 39-30 with just over three minutes to play.

New Orleans closed the lead to seven points before the half but never came closer than that in the final 20 minutes.

Although Evans ended up with only three more points, giving him 13 for the game, he said the overall effort was a big weight off the Toppers’ shoulders.

“It’s a big relief,” Evans said. “We know that we can have our ups and downs and (the seniors) still have our heads up, but just for our young guys, to show them that we’re not going to let up, and it doesn’t matter — we still have games left.”

Saturday’s game marks the Privateers’ final game in Diddle as a member of the Sun Belt, as the school recently announce plans to switch to Division III athletics this July.

Western takes four days off before traveling to Louisiana-Monroe for a 7 p.m. Thursday night tipoff. And after trudging through eight games in 17 days, Slaughter said it’s good to be home.

“It’s always great to sleep in your own bed and have those few days to yourself to get ready for a game,” Slaughter said.