Dec. 5, 2000
MURRAY, Ky. - Isaac Spencer scored a game-high 25 points as Murray State beat Western Kentucky 83-81 Tuesday night.
Antione Welchel had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Murray State (3-1) and Justin Burdine scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half.
Derek Robinson led four Western Kentucky (3-3) players in double figures with a season-high 17 points (and a game-high six assists). Chris Marcus scored 14 points and had a game-high 11 rebounds, Nashon McPherson had 12 points. Marcus recorded his fourth double-double in six games. And, his four blocked shots improved his WKU career total to 102, making him just the fourth Topper on record to account for 100-plus rejections.
Western trailed by 19 points just past the midway point in the first half, but rallied, chipped away at the MSU lead and came within one point with less than a second left in the game on a 3-pointer from Filip Videnov, who had 10 points and four rebounds for the game. Spencer hit a free throw with no time left to end the game.
Murray State led 46-34 at the half on 61 percent shooting from the field and was 25-for-49 (51% -- the best by an opposing team against Western so far this season) for the game and 7-for-17 from 3-point range. The Hilltoppers hit 42.6% from the floor and made good on eight of 23 shots from beyond the arc.
