SHARP SHOOTING LIFTS PURPLES TO 96-54 WIN OVER OWENSBORO​

(BOWLING GREEN, Ky.) The Bowling Green Purples defeated the Owensboro Red Devils in dominant fashion Tuesday night, 96-54. Bowling Green improves to 19-4 with the win while Owensboro falls to 8-10. Four Purples charted double figures in the scoring column highlighted by 14 field goals from beyond the arc.

Luke Idlett led Bowling Green with 21 points along with two rebounds, two assists, and a block. 15 of his 21 points came from deep. Joe Hurt added 20 points, two rebounds, an assist, and a block. Will Hume led Owensboro with 19 points highlighted by a trio of threes. Center Keaton Hughes stuffed the stat-sheet with 14 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks.

Looking like things would be tightly contested in the early going, Bowling Green maintained a 9-6 lead midway through the first quarter. The Purples then poked one away and sparked a 10-0 run that was finally snapped by Hughes’s pair of free throws with 2:12 left in the period. Bowling Green would continue to shoot the ball at a tremendous clip, leading 29-10 after the first. 

Already with five points, Hurt found his shot from the three point line connecting on his first three attempts to push the Bowling Green lead to 38-15 only two minutes into the period. Braylon Banks and Idlett both connected on one as the lead ballooned even more. As the half expired Idlett got the friendly roll from deep and the Purples would take a 30-point, 54-24, lead into the halftime break.

Bowling Green forced the Red Devils into 10 turnovers in the first half alone. The lone bright spots for Owensboro were Hughes’s 10 points, five rebounds, and four blocks along with Hume’s pair of threes.

To start off the third Deuce Bailey, wearing No. 5 Tuesday night, connected on the conventional three pointer and Idlett connected on a three putting the game out of reach. Idlett would add four more points and with 2:23 left in the third, the 35-point running clock threshold had been hit. Bowling Green would lead 80-42 heading into the final eight minutes.

Banks rattled in his second triple and Idlett connected on his fifth three of the night as head coach DG Sherrill decided to take all of his starters out just one minute into the fourth. Getting some varsity action, Sophomore guard Arlando Davis who would hit the final two threes of the game for Bowling Green. A putback from freshman Chance Doyle and Christian Muhire’s layup would put a wrap on the Purples’ 96-54 win over Owensboro.

The win marks the sixth straight for Bowling Green over Owensboro in the rivalry between the two schools separated by 60-miles. The Purples have scored 80-plus points in seven games this season and their 96 points are the most they have scored at home since a 97-42 win over Glasgow on December 9, 2021.

Bowling Green will head across town and take on bitter rival Warren Central Friday night at Dragon Gym. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. With a win, the Purples have a chance at the No. 1 seed at this year’s district tournament which will be held at Bowling Green February 25-28.