May 23, 2000
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Western Kentucky's Hilltopper basketball made the most of it's visit to Europe this month, returning from the 11-day trip to France and Switzerland with four impressive victories.
"We had a wonderful trip," Hilltopper Head Coach Dennis Felton said. "Our players took full advantage of experiencing the difference cultures and places we saw. And, as a team, we took another major step in developing and maturing while advancing the process that began last year."
The Toppers were the first United States college team to go undefeated in competition with European teams in the six years Basketball Travelers, Inc., has been arranging such tours. Through that period of time, Basketball Travelers has sent nearly 25 men's and women's college teams to Europe.
Western outscored it's four opponents by an average of 29.5 points per game. Those wins came over Chorale Roanne 108-72 in Lyon, France, on May 10, the Swiss All-Stars 88-77 in Vevey, Switzerland, on May 11, Wetzikon 97-43 in Vevey on May 12, and Riviera 100-83 in Vevey on May 13. A fifth game with AS Monaco was canceled.
Guard Filip Videnov, a 6-4 sophomore-to-be guard from Kozloduy, Bulgaria, led the Hilltoppers in scoring for the four games, averaging 13.0 points per game. Chris Marcus (12.8 ppg), Raynardo Curry (12.3) and Nashon McPherson (11.8) also hit for double digits averages for WKU.
McPherson paced the Toppers on the boards with his 7.0 rebounds per outing. David Boyden (6.5 rpg), Nate Williams (6.3), Marcus (4.5) and Derek Robinson (4.5) were also effective on the boards.
Robinson led Western with 27 assists in the four games, followed by Curry with 14. Marcus, who set a WKU school record for blocked shots in a season in his first year in a Hilltopper uniform last winter, was credited with nine rejections. And, Curry was tops in the steals department with 15.
