WKU dropped round one of the 100 Miles of Hate Rivalry at Middle Tennessee State Saturday Night 71-57.
With the game close in the middle of the second half, freshman guard Julius Thedford injured his knee after an awkward fall going up for a layup. The leading scorer for WKU in the game did not return and the Blue Raiders took control of the second half, going up by double digits and never giving up the lead.
Senior guard Don McHenry led the Hilltoppers with 16 points. Before his injury, Thedford scored 10 points. The Hilltoppers shot 33.3% from the field and only had two players score in double figures. They shot 5-25 from three-point territory in the game. MTSU outrebounded the Hilltoppers 42-32 for the game and recorded eight blocks.
The Hilltoppers shot 36.7% from the field and 3-14 from beyond the arc in the first half. McHenry struggled in the half, shooting 0-6 from the field and 0-5 from three-point territory with two turnovers. Thedford led WKU in scoring with 10 points while guard Khristian Lander added six points.
The Blue Raiders stayed in the game through the first 20 minutes thanks to their rebounding advantage and four first half blocks. Despite only making 10 shots and two three-pointers, they trailed by one entering halftime.
The second half was a vast contrast from the first. Despite winning the turnover advantage 7-4 in the second half, WKU was held to under 30 second half points. MTSU shot 59.3% from the field in the second half and 55.6% from beyond the arc. The Hilltoppers shot 10-33 from the field and 2-11 from the three-point line. McHenry had five of the 10 WKU field goals, scoring 16 points in the second half.
First Half
WKU won the tipoff and opened with a stepback jumper by guard Khristian Lander. The Hilltoppers led 4-0 for the first five minutes of the game, holding MTSU scoreless until the 15-minute mark. The Blue Raiders battled back to tie the game at 9-9 and went back and forth with the Hilltoppers.
The Hilltoppers went up four, 19-15, but a three-pointer by MTSU guard Jestin Porter tied the game 21-21 with 4:30 remaining until halftime.
A jumper by guard Braxton Bayless gave the Hilltoppers the 28-26 lead. WKU committed a shooting foul but the Blue Raiders made only one out of two. MTSU failed to score in the final minute of the half, giving the Hilltoppers the one-point lead into the locker rooms.
Second Half
WKU opened the second half regaining the lead at the 19-minute mark. Tied at 31, the Hilltoppers jumped up 36-32 thanks to a 5-1 run, but the Blue Raiders erased it and regained the lead 37-36.
At the 14:37 mark of the second half, Thedford was fouled, falling hard and injuring his knee. He exited the game and did not return. With Thedford out, MTSU jumped to a double-digit lead with 10:23 remaining in the game.
The Blue Raiders went on an 11-2 run over five minutes, keeping a grip on the game with misses by the Hilltoppers. Up 66-50 with 3:42 remaining in the game, MTSU iced the game by holding WKU scoreless until the 1:28 mark. A dagger three by MTSU with 26 seconds left clinched their victory 71-57.
WKU will continue their conference road stretch Thursday with a trip to Louisiana Tech to play the Bulldogs.
Sports Reporter Michael Givner can be reached at [email protected].