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Virginia Drops 78-68 Decision To Western Kentucky
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Jan. 2, 2006
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – J.R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary combined for 46 points, but it wasn’t enough as Western Kentucky hit several clutch shots down the stretch to post a 78-68 victory (Jan. 2) over Virginia at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky. With the loss, UVa falls to 6-5 on the season, while Western Kentucky improves to 8-4.
The Hilltoppers shot 55.2 percent (32-58) from the field, including 10-21 (47.6 percent) from three-point range to keep UVa from winning its fourth consecutive game.
Reynolds led all players with a season-high 26 points on 9-15 shooting from the field, including 4-7 from three-point range. Singletary totaled 20 points and six assists, while both players recorded three steals. Jason Cain added 10 points and Laurynas Mikalauskas contributed eight points and a career-best nine rebounds.
Western Kentucky used an 8-0 run late in the first half to take an 11-point lead, 37-26, with 1:20 remaining. The Cavaliers closed out the first half with four consecutive points to cut the deficit to 37-30 at the intermission.
The Hilltoppers opened the second stanza with a 7-2 spurt to take their biggest lead of the game, 44-32, with 18 minutes to play. Virginia slowly cut into the WKU lead and pulled within 53-51 on a Cain jumper off his own offensive rebound at the 11:33 mark. Western Kentucky extended its lead back up to seven points, 60-53, with 8:57 to play, but again UVa responded with a 7-2 run to pull back within two (62-60) with 6:14 left. The Hilltopper’s Anthony Winchester scored 12 points during the final six minutes of the game, including a pair of three-pointers when defensive stops by the Cavaliers would have made it a one possession game.
Western Kentucky shot 55.2 percent (16-29) from the field in both the first and second half. UVa shot 42.4 percent (25-59) from the floor, including 53.8 percent (14-26) in the second half. The Cavaliers held a slim 32-31 lead in rebounds and both teams committed 16 turnovers.
Winchester led Western Kentucky with 23 points and five rebounds, while Courtney Lee had 21 points and seven boards.