Ace Hunt

GoSycamores.com

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Khristian Smith led the way with 15 points but Western Kentucky used an early second half run to earn a 75-62 victory over visiting Indiana State in front of 2,810 fans inside E.A. Diddle Arena.

The Sycamores fell to 3-6 on the season while Western Kentucky improved to 5-4. It was the first meeting between the two clubs since 2009.

Khristian Smith finished the game with 15 points while Brenton Scott owned 14 and Devonte Brown was also in double figures with 11. The Sycamores hit 47.3 percent (26-of-55) from the field, but Western Kentucky held a 23-4 advantage at the free throw line as well 39-21 edge on the boards.

WKU used a late run to take a 37-30 lead at the half, but Matt Van Scyoc returned to action after early foul trouble to drain a 3-pointer on the Sycamores first possession to cut the Hilltopper lead down to just four points. But the Hilltoppers countered with seven in a row to stretch their lead back out to 44-33 with 16:48 on the clock and forced the Sycamores to use a timeout. A long two pointer from Smith with just over 15 minutes on the clock ended what eventually was an 8-0 WKU spurt to get within 10 points.

The Hilltoppers added 10 more in a row after the Smith jumper as the Sycamores went scoreless for just over four minutes to take a 55-35 lead before Indiana State answered with a Brenton Scott triple as the clock ticked under 11 minutes to go which cut the Topper cushion down to 17. Everett Clemons had a nice steal and found Smith in transition with 10:02 remaining to make it 57-40 in favor Western. After another defensive stop, Rickman dunked for the third time in the contest and the Sycamores found themselves down just 15. The defense got into the action with a solid possession which ended with a WKU shot clock violation at the 7:48 mark. Following the media timeout, Brown scored driving to the basket to get the Sycamores within 59-45.

The Sycamores continued to try and regain the momentum with another stop and score on the next possession which ended with Scott driving to basket for his 11th point of the game. The two teams then traded baskets as the clock ticked towards the six minute mark on a Clemons lay-up which got ISU within 61-49.

A conventional 3-point play by Brown with 3:46 on the clock cut the WKU advantage down to 67-54. The Sycamore defense followed that up with their second forced shot clock violation of the second half to regain possession. 

Western Kentucky opened the scoring but it was a Brenton Scott steal and transition lay-up for Khristian Smith that look the lid off the Sycamores' bucket at the 18:10 mark. A Smith 3-pointer with 14:22 remaining in the first half staked Indiana State to its first lead of the contest, before lay-ups from Niels Bunschoten and Brandon Burnett kept it a one possession game as the clock ticked towards the 12 minute mark. WKU opened a six-point lead as Brenton Scott hit a pair of free throws and Everett Clemons came up with a steal and fast break score to get the Sycamores within 15-13 with 9:35 remaining.

Bunschoten came up with a long jumper with just over nine minutes remaining to cap a 6-0 run and level the score at 15. Western Kentucky then countered with scores on three straight possessions for their own 6-0 run which was stopped by a 3-pointer from Brenton Scott at the seven minute mark to make it a three point game. Smith then secured a steal and breakaway dunk to trim the WKU advantage down to 21-20 at the 6:54 mark and forced the Hilltoppers to burn a timeout.

A second chance putback by Emondre Rickman was followed by a Devonte Brown steal and Smith score in transition as the Sycamores took a 24-23 lead with 5:07 remaining. A pair of Anton Waters free throws stretch the lead out to three points but a Rickman dunk was followed by a long Brown rebound and Smith score in transition as the Sycamores went ahead 30-29 at the 2:34 mark. WKU scored the final eight points of the half to lead 37-30 heading back into the locker room. Khristian Smith paced the Sycamores with 11 points. 

Western Kentucky was led in scoring by 24 points from Justin Johnson.

Indiana State returns to Hulman Center on Wednesday, December 16 when they host Illinois-Springfield at 7:00 p.m. (ET).