Box Score
Kentucky Wesleyan has been re-energized just in the nick of time.
With postseason play beginning this weekend, the No. 19 Panthers put together one of their best all-around efforts of the season on Thursday night with a 69-54 thumping of arch-rival and No. 9 Southern Indiana before a raucous crowd of 4,417 at the Sportscenter.
Wesleyan returns to its home court at 3 p.m. Sunday against Missouri S&T for an opening-round game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.
“This was a huge win for us, and I thought our fans played a significant role in it — we had a great student section that really gave us a lift,” saiid KWC head coach Todd Lee, whose club had dropped three of its previous four contests. “We needed a boost of confidence heading into the tournament season, and this should provide us just what we need.
“We knew we would have to play really well to beat an outstanding Southern Indiana team, and, though we certainly weren't perfect, I thought we played with the type of focus, energy and determination it takes to win games at this time of the year.”
Playing a key role for the Panthers was 6-foot-8 sophomore forward
Dominique Dawson, who shook off a slump in recent weeks to come off the bench and produce 17 points and six rebounds — finishing 4-of-4 from the field and 9-of-9 from the foul line.
“My confidence got going early, when I strung a few free throws together,” Dawson said. “When you're free throws are going down like that, everything else about the game comes easier.”
The first half was a see-saw affair that featured big runs by both teams.
The Panthers (20-6, 12-6) bolted to an 8-0 lead in the first four minutes, but USI would hold KWC without a field goal over the nest 11:18 while putting together a 16-4 run of their own — Isaac McClure's
18-footer pushing the Screaming Eagles in front 16-12.
Wesleyan, however, got eight points from senior forward
Anthony Young and six more from senior guard
Brandon Johnson while scoring 17 of the final 24 points of the half. Two free throws by Young with 2.7 seconds remaining left the Panthers with a 29-23 advantage at intermission.
“It started with defense and it ended with defense in this one,” said senior forward
Marseilles Stewart of KWC, which limited USI to 0-for-9 shooting from 3-point range in the first half.
“That's how our team has to play from now on for us to advance in tournament play, but this shows we can play with anyone in the country when we're right.”
KWC steadily increased its lead in the first 13 minutes of the second half, with a Johnson layup putting the Panthers on top 52-39 with seven minutes to play.
The Screaming Eagles, however, answered with a Brandon Hogg 3-pointer that ignited a 12-4 run over the next four minutes — a 14-foot baseline jumper by Ben Jones pulling USI (20-6, 12-6) within 56-51 with three minutes to play.
After that, however, it was all Wesleyan.
Led by Young and Johnson, the Panthers closed out the visitors from Evansville with a 13-3 burst in the final 2 1/2 minutes to win going away.
In addition to Dawson's big game, Wesleyan got 25 points and eight rebounds from Young, 16 points and eight rebounds from Johnson, and six rebounds from Stewart.
Southern Indiana, held to 34 percent shooting, including 3-of-23 from 3-point range (14 percent), was led by McClure's 16 points and six rebounds, finishing 7-of-8 from the field. Hogg added 12 points, but connected on just 3-of-12 shots.
* Glenn Young, in his 58th season as public address announcer at Kentucky Wesleyan basketball games, was honored during a halftime ceremony on Thursday night.
Young, who is retiring from his P.A. duties following the season, received a framed purple Wesleyan jersey emblazoned with the white number “58” to signify his years of service for the Panthers.
KWC also announced that its early-season tournament, previously known as the Owensboro Classic, will be named the Glenn Young Classic beginning in the 2012-13 season.
