Tuesday, January 28, 2003

Western Kentucky outlasts FIU, 63-43

estern Kentucky sends FIU to its fifth straight loss, 63-43, in Bowling Green, KY. The Hilltoppers (12-7, 5-2 Sun Belt) have the second longest home winning streak in the nation at 30.

Carlos Morban led the Golden Panthers (6-12, 0-5 SBC) with 11 points, his fifth game in double figures on the season. Eulis Baez grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in the loss.

Each team combined for four points in the first five minutes of the game. FIU took a 9-7 lead at the 9:32 mark in the first half on a Nikola Novakovic put-in basket off a rebound.

The Hilltoppers would take the lead two possessions later on a Patrick Sparks three pointer. After WKU went up 15-9, Carlos Morban and Carlos Fernandez helped FIU cut the deficit to two with steals and transition baskets.

Seven different Golden Panthers scored in the first half, including Slavtcho Slavtchev's three-pointer at the buzzer to bring FIU within two, 20-18, going into the locker room.

FIU held the Hilltoppers to 25-percent (7-for-28) from the floor, while shooting 35-percent (8-for-23).

WKU would quickly build its lead to ten on three treys, including two by Mike Wells, in the first four minutes of the second half. The Hilltoppers would hold FIU to seven points in the first ten minutes for a 36-23 advantage.

The lead would go to 20, until Fernandez hit three free-throw attempts and Baez scored his fourth point of the contest, bringing the score to 51-34 with four minutes to play.

Morban would nail a three-pointer and the foul shot for the final FIU highlight, as Western outscored the Golden Panthers, 43-25, in the second half.

WKU shot 56-percent (15-for-27) in the half, including 50-percent (7-for-14) from three-point range. Wells led all scorers with 14 points.

FIU now travels to Murfreesboro, TN to face another Sun Belt opponent in Middle Tennessee on Saturday night at 9:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The game will be aired live statewide on Sunshine Network.