Hilltoppers Punch Dance Ticket

Western Kentucky wins Sun Belt Conference, NCAA tourney seed
By Jesse Andrews,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 12, 2008 4:45 AM CDT
Hilltoppers Punch Dance Ticket
Western Kentucky players celebrate with the SUN Belt trophy after they defeated Middle Tennessee 67-57 in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament men's basketball championship game Tuesday, March 11, 2008 in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/ John David Mercer)   (Associated Press)

Western Kentucky made it six straight Sun Belt Conference championships yesterday, taking control in the second half to flummox Middle Tennessee, 67-57. Hilltoppers forward Jeremy Evans shot 8-of-9 for 20 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in the win, enough to clinch the conference MVP trophy. His double-double was the first by a Hilltopper all season.

The Hilltoppers started the second half with an 8-1 run and finished the game by hitting 12 straight free throws. The Blue Raiders led by as many as 7 in the first stanza, but a buzzer-beating three-pointer gave Western Kentucky a 34-31 halftime advantage. The title gives them an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament. (More NCAA stories.)

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