Box Score FRANKFORT, Ky. -- The Kentucky State University men's basketball team fell to the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers, 78-77, in a non-conference battle on Tuesday evening at the Exum Center.
With the Thorobreds trailing by two points in the final seconds, KSU backup point guard Devan Crain drove to the basket and drew a crucial foul with less than a second left on the game clock. With a hushed crowd silently pulling for him, Crain hit the front end of his pair of free-throws, pulling the Thorobreds within one point of Kentucky Wesleyan. Crain's second attempt was too strong and KWC snatched the rebound as the final moments ticked off the clock.
The Thorobreds (13-13, 10-7 SIAC) have dropped their final three games of the season against tough competition. Their last three opponents have a 51-30 combined record. If the Thorobreds had been able to pull out the win against KWC they would have secured their first back-to-back seasons with an above .500 record in 21 years.
Kentucky Wesleyan (20-8, 12-2 G-MAC) bounces back after a tough loss to G-MAC opponent Alderson Broaddus this past Saturday. The loss to Alderson Broaddus eliminated the chance for KWC to host this season's G-MAC tournament.
KSU was in a position to tie or win the game in the final seconds because on the previous Kentucky Wesleyan possession the Panther's Rico Ferguson missed a pair of free-throws with just six seconds on the clock. The free-throw's would have put KWC up by four and made the final seconds much less stressful for Head Coach Happy Osborne.
Kentucky State had a solid game offensively, shooting 45% from the floor overall but KWC was better, connecting on 54% of their shots from the floor as a team. That's the second highest shooting percentage by a Thorobred opponent this season.
KSU, averaging 62% from the free-throw line as a unit this season, actually shot very well from the free-throw line over the course of the contest, converting 75% (18-for-24) of their attempts. Unfortunately two of their biggest misses from the charity stripe came in the final seven seconds of the game.
Senior guard Antonio Sullivan led the way for KSU, dropping in a season-high 24 points. Sullivan went 7-of-12 from the field including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Sophomore point guard Quentin Henderson had 14 points and three assists. Brandon Darrett, who was double teamed most of the night, finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. Forward Darrien Wilkins had a team-high nine rebounds, five on the offensive end.
Kentucky Wesleyan was led by Lonnie Hayes who is averaging 18.2 points per game this season. He poured in a game-high 26 points for the Panthers. Big man Dominique Dawson finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
Kentucky State will regroup in the next few day before heading down to Birmingham, Ala. this weekend as they prepare for the SIAC Championship Tournament. The tournament will be played from Monday, Mar. 3 through Saturday, Mar. 8, in the Bill Harris Arena at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
