Athletes of the week Section Edmonson County’s Rich, Greenwood’s Conley recognized. Page 2C PORTS C Thursday, January 26, 2012 SSPORTS Daily News LADY TOPPERS WKU misses chances against FAU Florida Atlantic. “It was frustrating because we worked so hard to tie touch the ball again. Lady Tops tie game 3 times April Goins made two free throws “It was frustrating because we worked late but can’t pull ahead with 6.9 seconds to go, giving FAU a 60- it or at least get a lead and we never really got a so hard to tie it or at least get a lead and 58 win over WKU, extending the Lady lead.” we never really got a lead,” Owens said. By CHAD BISHOP Toppers’ road losing streak to 11 and “Every time we tried, we’d either miss a The Daily News dropping them to fourth place in the LaTeira Owens [email protected]/783-3241 1 WKU senior forward layup, miss a shot or turn the ball over.” SBC’s East Division Ð 5 ⁄2 games behind Western Kentucky trailed throughout BOCA RATON, Fla. — Western Middle Tennessee State. less than 10 seconds to play. hit both freebies on the other end, then Kentucky was frustrated Wednesday until Govan tied it at 50 with a layup. “When we needed a stop, we didn’t get “You can’t put that game on that shot, Western Kentucky’s Ellen Sholtes drove night. Owens hit a fade-away jumper to knot it it,” freshman Alexis Govan said. “When because we missed so many of those the ball the length of the court and had The Lady Toppers (6-14, 3-5 Sun Belt we needed to make a layup, we didn’t get at 52-52 and a Mosley putback with 2:50 Conference) were frustrated they missed it.” shots throughout the game,” WKU coach her final shot blocked inside the lane. to go made things all square at 56-all. so many shots, frustrated their top scorer Indeed, the Tops tied the game at 50, Mary Taylor Cowles said. “That’s just LaTeira Owens, who led WKU with Sholtes hit two free throws to tie it at was on the bench in foul trouble and, ulti- 52, 56 and 58. The Owls (11-8, 6-2 SBC) really, really frustrating.” 18, was on the bench with four fouls dur- 58-58 and WKU had two more chances mately, frustrated they could never grab a dodged a bullet each time, including two Goins was fouled after grabbing the ing Mosley’s misses. She checked back to take the lead from there, the latter lead despite chance after chance to win at Keshia Mosley misses down low with off Mosley’s second miss. She in after Goins’ free throws, but didn’t See FLORIDA ATLANTIC, 3C

PREP WKU BASKETBALL Hilltoppers Local family’s tall tale on the road Sibling centers get attention against FAU on and off basketball court By CHAD BISHOP By ZACH GREENWELL The Daily News The Daily News [email protected]/783-3241 [email protected]/783-3239 Western Kentucky embarks on its annual south Nancy Mulkey is used to getting some stares on Florida swing this weekend, making its first stop the basketball court. at Florida Atlantic at 6 p.m. CST tonight. The Greenwood eighth-grade is 6 feet 6 The Hilltoppers (6-14, 2-5 Sun Belt inches tall, so it comes as no surprise to her that Conference) look to build off their first win in opponents find her intimidating. nearly a month and will seek back-to-back wins “When they see me on the court warming up, for the first time since Dec. 4 and 7. other teams are amazed at how tall I am,” said Interim head coach Ray Harper isn’t sure if his Mulkey, 14. team has turned a corner yet, but knows its Those who know the lineage aren’t amazed at resolve has risen in the past week. Mulkey’s height. “To me, they look more confident,” he said. Her brother, Warren East senior John Bootz, is 6- “They’re sharing the ball well, our turnovers are 10. Her mother, Dolores Bootz-Mulkey, is 6-7. down. I think we’ve had nine, 11 and nine (total Bootz-Mulkey has a brother and a sister who are turnovers in the last three games). We had three 7 feet and 6-7, respectively. in the second half on Saturday (against Arkansas- And so on along the family tree. Little Rock). You do that and defend, you give But beyond physical stature, the family’s starting yourself a chance to win the game.” to build some hoops tradition, while growing clos- The Tops haven’t won on the road since Dec. er in the process. 29, when they beat Louisiana-Monroe 76-71 in “I’ve been in a gym my whole life, and I plan to overtime. Their other road victory this season stay there,” said John Bootz, 17. “My cousins, my was a 62-55 win at Southern Illinois on Dec. 7. mom, my sister – everyone’s gone big in basket- Harper was more concerned Tuesday with ball, and I’m really hoping I make it somewhere.” whether his team was getting better than where they would play. Good genes See McDONALD, 3C Dolores Bootz-Mulkey doesn’t make a big deal about her basketball past, but it’s just that. The Greenwood girls’ assistant basketball coach WKU was a star at Georgia Tech Ð the tallest player ever to compete for the program. AT FAU Bootz-Mulkey set Georgia Tech records for scor- Tipoff 6 p.m. CST today ing average (18.9 points per game), career field Place goal percentage (59.3 percent) and blocked shots FAU Arena (5,000), Boca Raton, Fla. (245) from 1984-88, and was inducted into the Records school’s Hall of Fame in 1994. Western Kentucky (6-14, 2-5), Florida Atlantic (8-12, 4-3) The WNBA hadn’t been formed yet, so Bootz- Television WKYU-PBS/Fox College Sports Mulkey opted to play overseas for several years, Radio making stops in Turkey, Spain and France. WKLX 100.7-FM “Some people like to be away, but I’d just rather Coaches Ray Harper (1-3, first year; 343-66 overall), Western be home,” she said. “I went and played for the Kentucky; Mike Jarvis (42-53, fourth year; 360-255 over- experience, but with a choice, I would have much all), Florida Atlantic. rather been in the States.” Probable starters Now Bootz-Mulkey is passing on her basketball WESTERN KENTUCKY knowledge to her children and others. She’s Teeng Akol, C, 6-11 jr. (4.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg); Nigel Snipes, F, 6-5 fr. (4.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg); Derrick Gordon, G, 6-3 fr. (12 coached Amateur Athletic Union teams in Georgia ppg, 6.3 rpg); Kahlil McDonald, G, 6-3 sr. (6.9 ppg, 2.3 See NANCY MULKEY, 6C rpg); Jamal Crook, G, 6-3 jr. (8.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg). FLORIDA ATLANTIC Kelvin Penn, F, 6-6 fr. (2.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Kore White, F, 6- Greenwood assistant girls’ basketball coach 8 jr. (8 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Shavar Richardson, G, 6-3 sr. (4.8 Dolores Bootz-Mulkey (from left), 6 feet 7 inches ppg, 1.8 rpg); Alex Tucker, G, 5-11 sr. (4.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg); tall, shown at Greenwood High School on Greg Gannt, G, 6-2 jr. (14.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg). Series record Wednesday, set records during her college WKU leads series 9-2 basketball career at Georgia Tech. Her children, Last time out Nancy Mulkey, 6-6, and John Bootz, 6-10, play WKU won 65-53 against Arkansas-Little Rock at home basketball for Greenwood and Warren East, Saturday; Florida Atlantic won 66-64 at Florida respectively. International on Saturday. Alex Slitz/Daily News

U OF L BASKETBALL Siva leads Louisville with 16 in win over Villanova, 84-74 Behanan, Kuric, C. Smith score 14 each and Notre Dame, we’d have had two more victo- by Siva and a 3-pointer by Smith that made it 50-46. ries,” Louisville coach said. The Cardinals stretched it to 61-51 at the midway By COLIN FLY Louisville came in with losses in five of its previ- point of the half. The Associated Press ous eight, including at home to the Hoyas and Irish Wayns, who had scored 92 points in his previous LOUISVILLE — says he’s been and road defeats to Marquette and Providence. The three games, returned and ended Villanova’s working extra hours improving his shooting skills. Cardinals won at Pittsburgh on Saturday. drought of more than 4 minutes without a . His court vision is as sharp as ever. “I think everybody’s getting their confidence,” The Wildcats went on an 8-0 run, capped by Siva scored 16 points and Louisville beat Siva said. “Everybody’s playing together right Mouphtaou Yarou’s three-point play, to cut Villanova 84-74 on Wednesday night to return to now.” Louisville’s lead to 63-61. Yarou finished with 10 .500 in the Big East after a rough start to conference Villanova (10-11, 3-6) rallied from a nine-point points and JayVaughn Pinkston added 12 rebounds. play. first-half deficit to lead by as many as six, but went But Villanova never got over the hump despite 14 “I came early to get shots up, to keep working on cold in the second half as its modest two-game win- points by James Bell. Up by two, Dieng hit two free it, because I know it’s going to help me out in the ning streak ended. throws and Kuric added two more after a layup by long run. I didn’t take any threes in warmups; I only Big East player of the week Maalik Wayns scored Bell to make it 71-67 with 3:02 to go. took mid-range shots,” Siva said. “It paid off.” 19 points after being saddled with foul trouble early Siva hit his key shot to stretch the lead to six and Siva was brilliant late when the Cardinals (16-5, in the second half and going to the bench with near- Louisville made the free throws it needed late to pull 1 4-4) needed him most. ly 18 ⁄2 minutes to play. away. He made a turnaround jumper from 15 feet to “You have to be a good enough team because you “You never know who’s going to get the shot,” give the Cardinals a 73-67 lead with 2:56 left, then know that is going to happen,” Villanova coach Jay Smith said. “But as long as somebody’s hitting it, it made two sharp passes on the next two possessions Wright said. “I would’ve liked to have seen us step doesn’t matter.” that led to points, including Jared Swopshire’s 3- up defensively a little better when he stepped out, After taking a 44-39 halftime lead, Villanova pointer from the corner that made it 78-69 with 1:12 but we didn’t.” struggled with Louisville’s defense and shot 30.3 left. It was only the second 3-pointer in 11 attempts Louisville got contributions from all over. Chris percent in the second half without Wayns on the this season for Swopshire. Smith, and scored 14 floor for long stretches because of foul trouble. “I’m a point guard, so I’ve got to find open guys. points apiece and chipped in 12 points “I thought we played a good first half, and then in My job is to create and get them open looks,” Siva and 13 rebounds. the second half, I thought our defense was poor,” said. “I was just glad Jared made it because it got me “They’ve got a lot of guys that can hurt you in a Wright said. “They did a great job of finding differ- an and I was like, ‘Yeah, Jared, you finally got lot of different ways. They don’t rely on one guy,” ent people, creating balance, and the offensive glass one.’ ” Wright said. “They spread it out and that makes really hurt us in the second half.” Siva also made two free throws with 57 seconds them tough to guard. We gave up 45 points in the Louisville’s Peyton Siva (right) shoots left that iced it. Louisville made 20 of 26 free throws second half and they kind of spread that around.” Wednesday in front of Villanova’s James Bell in the second half, including 10 of its final 12. After trailing by five at the half, the Cardinals (left) and Maalik Wayns in Louisville. “If we would’ve done that against Georgetown took their first lead of the second half on a Timothy D. Easley/AP