WKU dumps Oklahoma State to reach NIT semis

[March 22, 2018]  Freshman guard Taveion Hollingsworth matched his season high with 30 points, and fourth-seeded Western Kentucky advanced to the NIT semifinals for the first time since 1954, posting a 92-84 win over second-seeded Oklahoma State on Wednesday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.

Junior guard Lamonte Bearden registered 19 points and six assists as the Hilltoppers (27-10) won a third straight postseason game for the first time in school history. Senior forward Dwight Coleby had 16 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots, senior guard Darius Thompson had 11 points and senior forward Justin Johnson added 10 points.

Hollingsworth collected eight rebounds.

Senior guard Kendall Smith scored 19 points to pace the Cowboys, who shot 38.9 percent from the field. Junior forward Tavarius Shine tallied 13 points, sophomore guard Brandon Averette had 12 and sophomore forward Cameron McGriff added 10 for Oklahoma State (21-15).

Western Kentucky, which shot 52.5 percent from the field, will face either Saint Mary's or Utah in the NIT semifinals in New York on Tuesday.

The Hilltoppers led by two points at halftime and expanded the lead to 57-48 on Johnson's dunk with 4:51 left in the third quarter. Oklahoma State answered with a 12-3 spurt and tied the game at 60 on two free throws by senior guard Jeffrey Carroll with 1:15 remaining in the third.

Coleby slammed a dunk and Bearden added a layup as Western Kentucky took a 64-60 lead into the final stanza.

A three-point play by Hollingsworth increased the margin to 69-62 with 8:19 left. However, Oklahoma State answered with an 8-2 run and pulled within 71-70 on Carroll's 3-pointer with 5:55 to play.

Thompson scored six points during a 9-3 run as the Hilltoppers took an 80-73 lead with 3:15 remaining. The lead was again seven when Bearden made two free throws with 1:26 left, and Western Kentucky led by as many as 10 in the final minute.

Hollingsworth scored 17 first-half points and the Hilltoppers shot 57.6 percent from the field en route to leading 43-41 at the break.

Western Kentucky built a nine-point lead late in the first quarter and led 22-15 entering the second stanza. The Cowboys pulled within 28-27 on Smith's 3-pointer with 5:52 left in the half but couldn't inch ahead.

Hollingsworth drained one 3-pointer to make it 34-29 with 4:35 left and buried another to make it 43-38 with 10.2 seconds remaining. Smith nailed a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to go to pull Oklahoma State within two.

--Field Level Media

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.