Murray State
Western Kentucky
Racers fall to Western 82-72
12/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Sophomore guard Trey Pearson led all scorers with 26 points, but the Racers could not hold a halftime lead and fell to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers tonight 82-72.
Pearson, from South Fulton, Tenn., was 9-for-19 from the field, including 4-of-6 from three-point range, and also had six rebounds and six assists. Junior forward Issian Redding also had 11 points for the Racers (3-2).
Western Kentucky (5-0) was led in scoring by senior guard Antonio Haynes, who had 20 points on 5-for-9 shooting and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.
The Hilltoppers were also led by two bench players in freshman Ty Rogers and junior Elgrace Wilborn. Rogers, from nearby Eddyville, Ky., scored 17 points in just 20 minutes of action, connecting on five of six three-point attempts. Rogers had shot only 22 percent from the three-point arc coming in to the game. Wilborn, a transfer from Tennessee, recorded the game's only double-double, scoring 13 points to go along with 11 rebounds.
“Ty's a shooter,” WKU head coach Darrin Horn said. “He has complete freedom and I'll never say a word if he's open. That was a big key to the game. We were on the road in a tough environment against a good team, and we had to make shots to be successful. Elgrace provided presence for us. He grabbed a few boards and did some things inside for us. It was a real quality win for our team because of the respect we have for Murray State, Coach Cronin, and their staff.”
Murray State led by as many as 10 points in the first half, when a three-pointer by Pearson gave Murray a 30-20 edge at the 6:41 mark. Junior Darnell Hopkins' three-pointer at the buzzer gave Murray a 37-30 lead at halftime.
After a Pearson layup with 14 minutes left in the game, the Hilltoppers then ran off a 15-0 run that lasted a span of 4:47. Western then pushed the lead out to as many as 16 on a pair of Haynes free throws, but Murray could not ever get back within 10 points.
“We turned the ball over and gave them opportunities on fast breaks,” Murray State head coach Mick Cronin said. “We are a very young team that lacks leadership and do not know how to play 40 minutes per game. We did not play the last 10 against Texas-San Antonio. We did not play the last 10 minutes against Missouri, and we did not play the last 20 minutes tonight. Give Western Kentucky all the credit; they totally outplayed us in the second half.”
Cronin believes that as the year progresses, the Racers will be a totally different team.
“We lack toughness and leadership,” Cronin said. “It's my job to teach them that because I have been through it.”
The Racers are in action against another regional rival on Saturday, Dec. 11, when they will travel to Carbondale, Ill., to face the Southern Illinois Salukis. Tipoff time is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.
