BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Freshman Dedric Boyd poured in a game-high 16 points, but the Eastern Kentucky University men's basketball team fell to in-state rival Western Kentucky, 83-51, on Wednesday night at E.A. Diddle Arena.
 
WKU (5-2) used a 13-0 run in the middle of the first half to take a double-digit lead, and the Hilltoppers never looked back. EKU (3-4) went scoreless for over nine minutes during that stretch and never recovered.
 
Junior Nick Mayo – EKU's leading scorer at 19.8 points-per-game – was limited to only seven points, snapping his streak of 40 consecutive games in double figures. Mayo did contribute team highs in rebounds (five), assists (four) and steals (three).
 
A put-back by junior Jackson Davis made it 7-6 in favor of WKU with 15:53 remaining in the first half; however, the Hilltoppers then reeled off 13 unanswered points and grabbed a 14-point lead, 20-6, when Dwight Coleby converted a layup with 7:29 showing on the clock.
 
EKU outscored WKU, 6-2, over the final three minutes of the first half, and a layup by freshman Peyton Broughton made it 31-17 heading into the locker room at halftime.
 
WKU, however, reclaimed the momentum in the second half with red-hot shooting, and the Hilltoppers ran away with the big win.
 
Western shot 57 percent (34-of-60) from the field and 56 percent (10-of-18) from deep on the night.
 
Lamonte Bearden scored 16 points to lead seven Hilltoppers in double figures.
 
EKU returns to action on Saturday when the Colonels host Jacksonville at McBrayer Arena at 6 p.m. ET.