Sun Belt Quarterfinals Recap | |||
Recap by Zach Van Hart No. 5 Middle Tennessee State 76, No. 4 Western Kentucky 62 The Hilltoppers led for nearly all of the first fifteen minutes of the game. But MTSU went up with 4:53 remaining in the half and never trailed again. The Raiders eventually took a ten-point lead going into halftime. Western Kentucky tried to come back but was done in by its poor three-point shooting (six of 26). The loss had to come as a double shock for the Toppers, as they not only lost at home, but also lost in the tournament for the first time since the 1999-2000 season, breaking a nine-game winning streak in the tourney. For the Raiders, their road does not get any easier: next up is No. 1 seed Louisiana Lafayette. No. 3 New Orleans 91, No. 6 North Texas 89 On the other side, Defensive Player of the Year Shawnson Johnson did everything he could to keep the Mean Green in the game. Johnson finished with a tournament record 21 rebounds and eight blocks, which tied a tournament record. Junior Leonard Hopkins scored a season-high 27 points, going five of ten from beyond the arc, but it was not enough. Senior Kyle Buggs also scored a season-high (26) for the Privateers, who advanced to the semifinals where they will face No. 2 seed Arkansas-Little Rock Monday night.
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