A slow start and poor outside shooting doomed Hopkinsville in their 72-55 loss to defending state champion Bowling Green Sunday afternoon at the Marshall County HoopFest in Draffenville.
The Tigers shot just 34-percent from the field in the first half and 35-percent for the game. The athletic Tigers also shot just 39-percent from inside the 3-poin arc.
Hoptown fell behind 19-4 in the first half but battled back to make it a five-point game at halftime 30-25. However, the Purples used a 21-11 third quarter run to take control of the contest and built a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Freshman Alijah Watts led the Tigers with 16 points, including three field goals from 3-point range. James Nicholas added 10 points and six rebounds.
Jalen Johnson scored six points in the first half and played sparingly in the second half with a knee injury. Hoptown Coach Tim Haworth said Johnson told him before the game that he was “20-percent at best.”
Tefrell Toliver scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds but was saddled with foul trouble throughout and eventually fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Jarius Key had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Purples, who shot 54-percent from the field and knocked down 8-of-14 shots from behind the arc.
Hopkinsville (1-1) returns to action Friday against Fort Campbell.
