CEDAR CITY, Utah – EKU (4-0) left Cedar City with a win and they did it with a big second half run after they were down six. SUU (0-4) had a great first half but could sustain in the second half.
Both teams came out cold and there were only nine points by the first media timeout. Casey Oliverson and A.J. Hess scored the five points for SUU when Oliverson opened the game with a dunk and Hess knocked down a three. Eastern Kentucky would counter with seven points to take a two-point lead.
The Colonels forced an SUU timeout after they went on a 10-2 run to push their lead to 10 points. A couple big shots and a James McGee three brought the Thunderbirds within eight points at 22-14 with just under eight minutes left in the first half. SUU would score five straight points and Travon Langston would get three the old fashion way to bring SUU to within two at 24-22. SUU would take the lead at 32-30 on two free throws from freshman Tyler Rawson, and would hold the lead heading into halftime at, 34-31.
The Thunderbirds would end the first half shooting 52.0 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three. More importantly for SUU, they were 83.3 percent from the free throw line, a stat line that plagued the Thunderbirds in their first three games. Hess was the only Thunderbird in double digits in the first half with 10, Oliverson and Rawson would add six points apiece and Christian Thompson was high man on the boards with three.
EKU was a one man team in the first half with more then half of their points being scored by Corey Walden. Walden had 17 points on 5-6 shooting from the field and 3-3 from downtown. The Colonels were held to just 37.0 percent shooting from the field and 26.7 percent from three.
The second half would start with three straight EKU fouls and both teams struggling to find a rhythm. A McGee three would give the Thunderbirds a six-point lead early in the second half. Four quick threes would give the Colonels the lead at 46-42, before Rawson would break the run with a layup. Six more quick points from EKU would push their lead to 54-46 with 9:36 to play.
The Thunderbirds would get as close as four points but the Colonels would close the door winning 73-64.
SUU struggled again in the second half, shooting just 33.3 percent from the field and 27.3 from three. They finished the game 42.3 percent field goal percentage and 31.6 percent from downtown. A positive for the Thunderbirds was their free throw percentage at 70.0 percent, making 14 out of 20.
Three Thunderbirds finished in double digits with Hess leading the way with 15. McGee came off the bench and dropped 14 points including four three pointers. Rawson had 13 points and four rebounds and was a perfect 4-4 from the field. Hess and Langston led SUU with five rebounds each.
SUU will play UTSA this Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in San Antonio.
