Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University led by seven at halftime, but couldn't hold off a second half comeback from Western Kentucky in a 79-69 loss on Sunday at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green.
 
Leland Walker finished with a career-best 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field for the Colonels (3-3).  Devontae Blanton scored 22 points and pulled down seven rebounds.  Isaiah Cozart had five points, eight rebounds and seven blocks.
 
The teams exchanged a series of runs in the first half.  EKU started the game by scoring the first five points.  After Blanton's 15-foot jumper put the Colonels ahead 11-8, WKU rolled off a 15-3 run.  The Hilltoppers hit three 3-pointers during the run.  The home team's fifth triple of the game, from Brandon Newman with 10:07 left in the first half, capped the run and made it a 23-14 game.  WKU entered the game averaging just five 3-pointers per game.
 
A basket from Blanton moments later started another EKU run.  This time the Colonels out-scored the Hilltoppers 14-2.  Collin Cooper hit on a pair of 3-pointers.  His second, followed by a free throw from Montavious Myrick put EKU on top by five, 32-27, with 4:14 left in the opening half.
 
Another bucket from Blanton pushed the visitor's advantage to eight, 41-33.  The Colonels took a 7-point edge, 43-36, into the locker room at the break.
 
WKU made 7-of-15 (47 percent) from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes.  EKU forced eight turnovers and turned those into 16 points.
 
The Hilltoppers started the second half with a run that changed the game.  WKU scored 13 of the first 15 points to erase the 7-point deficit at the break.  Khristian Lander's 3-pointer and a fastbreak dunk from Babacar Faye finished it off and gave the Hilltoppers a 49-45 advantage with 15:43 left in the game.
 
WKU led the rest of the way.  Blanton's lay-up with 8:23 closed the gap to one, 58-57, for the Colonels.  Tyrone Marshall made another 3-ponter for the Hilltoppers with 7:42 on the clock for a 61-57 lead, and EKU never got any closer than two the remainder of the game.
 
The Hilltoppers (6-3) finished 11-for-25 (41 percent) from 3-point range.  They had shot 26 percent from long range in their first eight games.
 
After turning the ball over only six times in the first half, the Colonels gave it away 12 times in the second half.  WKU had only four second half turnovers and out-scored EKU 17-5 off turnovers.
 
EKU shot better from the field, 42 percent compared to 41 percent, but the Colonels made just 6-of-24 from behind the arc (25 percent).
 
Newman led WKU with 19 points and nine rebounds.  Don McHenry had 18 points, going 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
 
The Colonels will return to action Thursday at UNC Greensboro, the No. 5 ranked team in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top 25.  Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.