Bad Night at the Line Stops USD

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The University of San Diego men’s basketball team made just 5 of 19 free throws--26.3%--during a 64-59 loss to Western Kentucky Thursday night.

Despite the poor night at the line, USD stayed in the game and had a shot to tie with 3 seconds to play. But freshman Wayman Strickland’s 3-point attempt was short and the Toreros’ record fell to 5-7. Western Kentucky is 9-3.

“We’ve been struggling with them (free throws) but not this bad,” USD Coach Hank Egan said. “If we make some free throws in the first half, we could have built the spread, but we weren’t able to. You just can’t miss that many scoring opportunities.”

USD, which had been shooting 62% from the line in its first 11 games, made 2 of 11 attempts in the first half (missing the front end of three 1-and-1 chances). But the visitors only trailed at halftime, 30-29.

The teams were tied seven times in the second half. USD took its biggest lead of the second half, 43-40, with 10:57 to play on a 3-pointer by Strickland. But it was also USD’s final lead of the game. Brett McNeal than made two consecutive 3-pointers for a 46-43 Hilltopper lead with 9:16 to play.

Western Kentucky led, 54-49, before USD’s Danny Means hit a 3-pointer with 3:12 left. Strickland tied the game with a layup 7 seconds later.