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RICHMOND, Ky. – The Western Kentucky University men's basketball team shot 55 percent for the game and cruised to a 77-60 win over host Eastern Kentucky Saturday night in McBrayer Arena. The Hilltoppers (7-2) have now defeated the Colonels (4-5) 12 straight times in the Battle of the Bluegrass.
Junior
Mike Rose paced the Colonels with 14 points while netting four three-pointers. Sophomore
Josh Daniel came off the bench to finish with 13 points and senior
Jamaal Douglas added 10 tallies. Meanwhile, sophomore
Adam Leonard equaled a career high with six assists, but was held scoreless for the first time in his collegiate career.
WKU's Courtney Lee led all players with 23 points, 17 of which came in the first half when he hit 7-of-10 (70 percent) shots from the field. Tyrone Brazelton (15 points) and Orlando Mendez-Valdez (10) also finished in double figures.
The two teams exchanged three-pointers and dunks to begin the contest with Eastern holding a slim 8-7 advantage heading into the first media timeout. Following a Lee dunk and three-pointer, the Hilltoppers went on top, 14-8, and never trailed the rest of the game. A lay-up and three-pointer on back-to-back WKU possessions with 7:51 left gave the Toppers their first double-digit lead of the game, 23-13. Two more Lee trifectas helped WKU push the cushion to 18 points, 46-28, heading into intermission.
In the first half, the Hilltoppers netted 8-of-12 (66.7 percent) three-point attempts and forced 11 Eastern Kentucky turnovers.
WKU extended its lead to 24 points, 60-36, early in the second half, but the Colonels would not go away. Eastern's defense stepped up its intensity and held the Hilltoppers without a field goal over the next six minutes. A pair of three-pointers from Rose and a
Josh Taylor lay-up helped slice the deficit to 15 points, 61-46, with 7:56 left.
Unfortunately, that would be as close as Eastern Kentucky would get as the Toppers responded with an 11-2 run of their own to rebuild the 24-point margin.
EKU has the next week off to study for final exams. The Colonels return to OVC action on Monday, Dec. 17, with a home contest against Eastern Illinois.
