EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) -Shy Ely scored a season-high 26 points and Evansville beat Western Kentucky 72-40 Saturday night to match its best start in 27 years.
The Aces (7-1), off to the best start since the 1981-82 team began 10-1, put the game out of reach with a 24-3 run over the final 9 minutes of the first half and first 2 minutes of the final period. The only basket for the Hilltoppers (5-3) during that stretch was a 3-pointer by Steffphon Pettigrew.
Ely scored 16 during Evansville's big run, including the final six points of the first half and first four of the second. The Aces led 36-13 at the break and built it to 63-25 midway through the final period.
Nate Garner added 13 points and 16 rebounds for Evansville. Western Kentucky, which shot 16 percent in the first half and 27 percent for the game, was led by Sergio Kerusch and Orlando Mendez-Valdez with 8 points each.
