BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A second-half surge helped Western Kentucky to a 74-67 win over Jacksonville State at E.A. Diddle Arena Wednesday night.
 
The Hilltoppers used an 18-6 run to begin the second and take a lead following a 30-30 score at the half. Senior guard Thomas Pancake scored all of his 14 points in the second half.
 
Despite the seven-point loss, head coach Ray Harper was pleased with his team's play against the Conference USA opponent.
 
"I thought we took another step forward," Harper said. "I thought we got better, and I think we are going to keep better over these next couple of months. We are beginning to compete, and that has to be our identity. We may not shoot it well some nights, but we are going to play hard."
 
The Gamecocks controlled the first half with 20 rebounds and four points off turnovers. Senior Erik Durham led the scoring effort with 11 points, followed by junior Malcolm Drumwright with nine points.
 
JSU led for 14:05 of the first half and led by as many as 11 points. A 13-2 run that lasted nearly eight minutes pushed the Gamecocks out in front. Drumwright bucketed seven points during the stretch, but Western Kentucky closed the gap to tie it at the half.
 
Harper's squad managed to keep the game close in the second half until the halfway point. The game was tied 46-46 at the 10:52 mark, but that's when the Hilltoppers went on their game-changing run led by Thomas. The guard went 5-for-7 from the floor and 4-for-6 from behind the arc.
 
Durham finished the night with a team-best 17 points, and junior Norbertas Giga nailed down 12 in the second half to end with 16 points. It's the third consecutive game Giga has score 10 points or more. Senior Greg Tucker had 11 points to round out the Gamecocks' double-figure scorers.
 
The Gamecocks out-rebounded the Hilltoppers 11-8 on the offensive glass. Christian Cunningham totaled eight rebounds, and Andre Statam had a team-high four offensive boards.
 
The team has an early flight to Fort Worth, Texas Thursday morning. The Gamecocks arrive and begin preparation for their 6 p.m. Friday game against Texas Christian University.
 
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