Eight of the nine players who saw action scored in double figures, but the Bowling Green Hornets couldn’t get a 3-pointer at the buzzer to fall and fell Friday to the Middle Tennessee Storm at the Henderson A. Johnson Gym on the campus of Fisk University in Nashville.
With the win, the Storm improved its record to 4-0 while the Hornets dropped to 1-3.
Justin Taylor led Coach Otis Key’s team with 22 points while Runtreal Braxton and Kahlil McDonald each had 16. Tony Key added 13 points while four Hornets had either 10 or 11 points. They were Squeaky Hampton, Brandon Stockton, Michael Stone and Saville Evans. The other Hornet to play was D.J. Washington, who scored 7.
Scoring for the Storm is not available.
The Hornets struggled with shooting accuracy. They hit only 40 of 93 shots, including 11 of 38 from 3-point range. The only players to hit above 50 percent were Braxton (6 of 9), Evans (5 of 9), Stone (4 of 7) and Stockton (3 of 5). All of Stockton’s shots and goals were from 3-point range. Washington (0 of 5), McDonald (2 of 11), Hampton (1 of 5) and Stone (1 of 4) had trouble getting long-range shots to stay in the basket.
Bowling Green was 25 of 33 at the foul line with Taylor and McDonald each hitting 4 of 5, Washington 3 of 4, and Stockton and Hampton both 2 of 2.
Braxton grabbed 10 of the team’s 51 rebounds with Washington and McDonald getting 8 each and Key 7. McDonald had 6 assists and Stockton 5 of the team’s 18. Washington had 3 steals with Evans, McDonald and Stockton getting 2 each. Key blocked 5 shots, Washington 3 and Braxton 2.
The team was missing three of its top scorers in point guard Jamal Crook, forward Vic Moses, and post play Teeng Akol, General Manager Waseem Moorad notes.
The Hornets led 36-23 after a quarter and 63-55 at halftime. The Storm had taken the lead at 86-84 entering the final period. The score was tied at 112-112, but the Hornets couldn’t get the lead back.
The Hornets’ Facebook Page says, “As everyone is enjoying the start of Memorial Day Weekend, just a reminder that we are 5 more days until the Hornets next home game, scheduled for Friday, May 31 at 7 p.m. versus the River City Panthers. Come watch the homecoming return of former RHS & Austin Peay State star, Maurice "Squeaky" Hampton, as well as notable other local phenoms such as Jamal Crook, Teeng Akol, Kahlil McDonald, Vic Moses, Brandon Stockton, and Tony Key. We look forward to all of you attending the Hornets’ game on Friday, and thank you for your continued support.”
The following week Hampton and Assistant Coach Nathan Thompson will be leading a Hornets-sponsored skills camp for youngsters. The story about that camp is also on The LoJo.