BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Josh Anderson scored 25 points with five steals, Charles Bassey had 17 points and a season-high 17 rebounds for his eighth double-double of his freshman season and Western Kentucky handed Marshall its first conference loss of the season, 68-59 on Monday night.
Western Kentucky (10-9, 3-3 Conference USA), which lost three straight conference games by a total of five points in early January, snapped Marshall’s 30-game winning streak when leading at halftime.
Marshall (12-7, 5-1), the defending Conference USA tournament champions, had won nine straight games in league play. Jon Elmore led the Thundering Herd with 17 points.
In the closing seconds of the first half, Jarrod West made a steal near midcourt and had a wide-open path to the basket but pulled up and made a long 3-pointer. His left shoe came off during his defensive stand and the 5-foot-11 sophomore gave Marshall a 25-24 lead at the break.
Both teams shot less than 36 percent in the first half with Marshall at 32.6. The Thundering Herd finished 22 of 66 (35.5).
Marshall box
W. KENTUCKY 68, MARSHALL 59
MARSHALL (12-7)
J.Williams 4-10 0-0 9, Burks 5-15 3-5 13, West 3-6 0-0 8, Kinsey 1-4 1-2 3, Elmore 5-17 3-3 17, Beyers 2-5 0-0 4, George 1-1 0-0 3, Watson 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 22-62 7-10 59.
W. KENTUCKY (10-9)
Bassey 7-13 3-4 17, Anderson 10-16 3-4 25, Banton 1-3 0-0 2, Hollingsworth 2-10 6-6 10, Savage 1-5 3-4 6, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Diagne 0-1 0-0 0, Bearden 1-5 3-4 5, Ohmer 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 23-55 18-22 68.
Halftime—Marshall 25-24. 3-Point Goals—Marshall 8-32 (Elmore 4-10, West 2-5, George 1-1, J.Williams 1-6, Kinsey 0-2, Watson 0-2, Burks 0-3, Beyers 0-3), W. Kentucky 4-18 (Anderson 2-3, Ohmer 1-2, Savage 1-5, Diagne 0-1, Bassey 0-1, Banton 0-2, Hollingsworth 0-4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Marshall 26 (Burks 8), W. Kentucky 40 (Bassey 17). Assists—Marshall 9 (Kinsey 4), W. Kentucky 8 (Bearden, Banton 3). Total Fouls—Marshall 14, W. Kentucky 11. A—6,369 (7,326).