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University of Louisville
WESTERN KENTUCKY
Men's Basketball Drops Heartbreaker To Western Kentucky
December 09, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 9, 2000
By CHRIS DUNCAN
Associated Press Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Chris Marcus sank a free throw and made a key rebound in the final minute to lift Western Kentucky to a 68-65 win over Louisville on Saturday.
The 7-foot-1 Marcus scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season. Derek Robinson added 14 points for Western Kentucky (4-3), which snapped a three-game losing streak and beat Louisville for just the second time in the last 18 meetings.
Marques Maybin scored 22 points, but had only four in the second half to lead the Cardinals (2-5), who have lost four straight.
Western Kentucky trailed by nine at halftime, but started the second half with a 19-5 run.
The Hilltoppers sank 7 of their first 10 shots after halftime and Robinson's 3-pointer with 15:54 left gave Western a 41-39 lead, its first since the 11:41 mark of the opening half. Marcus capped the spurt with a three-point play 30 seconds later for a 44-39 Western lead.
Rashad Brooks sank a 3-pointer with 15:01 remaining to trim Western's lead to two and neither team led by more than four the rest of the way.
Bryant Northern sank a 3-pointer from the wing to give Louisville a 65-62 lead with 2:28 remaining, but Brian Allenspach split two free throws and scored inside with 1:15 left to forge a 65-65 tie.
Maybin missed a jumper with 45 seconds left and Marcus hit a free throw 10 seconds later to put the Hilltoppers up 66-65. Gaines missed a jumper from the wing with 15 seconds left and Marcus pulled down the rebound and got the ball to Robinson, who was fouled and sank two free throws with 11.4 seconds left.
Gaines, who scored 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting, missed again from the top of the key in the closing seconds.
Western led 13-11 when Maybin scored 11 straight points in a two-minute span to give the Cardinals a 22-13 lead.
The Cardinals led by as many as 13 in the first half as the Hilltoppers went 10-of-31 from the floor and committed 15 turnovers.
