Nov. 28, 2000
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Billy Richmond hit a 12-foot jumper with 7.6 seconds left and Anthony Williams added two free throws with two seconds to play, lifting Vanderbilt to a 70-66 win over Western Kentucky in men's basketball action before a raucous near-capacity crowd of 7,500 Tuesday night at E.A. Diddle Arena. It was the largest home gathering for the Hilltoppers since 7,600 fans watched WKU defeat Arkansas-Little Rock on Jan. 21, 1996.
Junior center Chris Marcus paced the Western attack, posting team highs of 14 points and 12 rebounds to record his third consecutive double-double. Junior guard Derek Robinson added 10 points off the bench, highlighting a 30-point night from the Topper reserves. Greg LaPointe scored a game-high 24 points and Williams grabbed a career-best 16 rebounds for Vandy, which owned a 49-39 edge on the glass.
The first half was virtually dead even, with six ties and three lead changes in the first 20 minutes of action. Western took its largest lead of the frame at 23-18 on a Marcus free throw with 5:50 left in the period. Vanderbilt quickly erased the deficit and the teams would trade baskets until LaPointe put the Commodores in front on a layup with 33 seconds to go. After a Topper basket, LaPointe hit a putback with one second remaining to send Vandy to the locker room ahead by two.
Western (3-1) stormed from the gate in the second half, scoring the first 10 points to take its largest lead of the night at 42-34 with 15:51 to play. Williams connected on two free throws 13 seconds later to end the Commodore drought, but the Toppers maintained the lead for the next three minutes. Vandy then mounted a 7-0 run, tying the game at 47-47 when Sam Howard hit two free throws at the 10:58 mark. Robinson gave WKU the lead with his second three-pointer of the game seven seconds later and the Toppers would stay in front virtually the rest of the way.
Leading by one with 7:09 remaining, Western pieced together a 9-2 charge, capped by a trey from junior guard Tremain Rowles, giving the Toppers a 66-58 lead with 4:43 to go. However, those would be WKU's last points of the night, as Vanderbilt went on a 12-0 run to end the game. LaPointe's two free throws tied the game at 66-66 with 53 seconds to go, and after a Western turnover, Richmond pulled up just inside the free throw line and buried the game-winner. The Toppers had one final chance, but sophomore guard Raynardo Curry was called for an offensive foul with three seconds left. Williams then hit his charities to seal the Commodores' victory.
Western Kentucky returns to action Saturday at 8 p.m. (CST) when it takes on New Mexico at its fabled arena, The Pit, in Albuquerque, N.M.
-- WKU --
