TO ITS FEET WITH A RESOUNDING DUNK.
DON McHENRY, KHRISTIAN LANDER CARRY HILLTOPPERS TO VICTORY
Western Kentucky University’s student body has left after final exams, but the Hilltopper basketball team has some assignments with which to deal.
On Tuesday night, they Tops breezed to victory over visiting Tennessee State, claiming an 84-60 triumph over the Tigers before a paid crowd of 2,312 at WKU’s E.A. Diddle Arena.
The next test figures to be a little tougher.
Western Kentucky (6-3 overall) plays host to former Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State on Saturday afternoon, a game that will better measure the progress the Hilltoppers have made under first-year coach Hank Plona.
The Racers (6-2 overall) have won three straight, but they’ve struggled a bit since Steve Prohm returned to Murray State for the 2022-23 season, which coincided with the school’s departure from the OVC to the more prestigious Missouri Valley Conference.
“They’re a very good basketball team,” Plona said in his postgame press conference. “They’re talented on offense, they have some older guys, like we do. I think they were picked third in the Valley (preseason poll) … I know there’s some history, a rivalry between the two schools.”
IN WKU’s ROUT OF TENNESSEE STATE.
GREETED AT THE BENCH IN THE FINAL MINUTES.
IS IN HIS FIRST SEASON WITH THE TEAM.
WKU made the two-hour trip to Murray State’s CFSB Center about 13 months ago, holding on for an 86-81 victory over the Racers under first-year coach Steve Lutz. Murray State would lose eight of its next nine games, after the defeat against WKU, and finish 12-20 overall — including a 9-11 record in the Missouri Valley — in Prohm’s second season since succeeding former assistant coach Matt McMahon.
McMahon has moved on to become the head coach at LSU.
On Tuesday night, the Hilltoppers opened the game on a 16-4 run and never looked back against Tennessee State. WKU shot 47.5 percent from the field, including a 31.7-percent clip from 3-point range, while staying comfortably in front throughout the second half. Senior guards Khristian Lander (19 points, four assists) and Don McHenry (18 points, four steals) kept the Hilltoppers on the attack, and Plona substituted freely down the stretch.
“Hopefully, we can get in a routine for these two weeks (with the four-game homestand),” Plona said. “Classes are behind us, so our focus will be on improving our basketball team, and improving individually, in these last three games before the (Christmas) break.
“Hopefully, between now and then, we’re able to do that, but I think there’s nothing better than playing at Diddle. Hopefully, we can continue to succeed.”
AND DON McHENRY AFTER TUESDAY’s VICTORY.
IS IN HIS THIRD SEASON
WITH THE HILLTOPPERS.
CHALLENGES THE TIGERS INSIDE.
After the home game with Murray State, the Hilltoppers will play host to Seattle University (on December 17) and NCAA Division II Kentucky Wesleyan (December 21) before a weeklong break and a trip to face the University of Michigan on December 29 in 12,000-seat Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The Hilltoppers have won three straight games since their 86-67 loss to the fifth-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington. WKU coach Hank Plona has sufficient talent to work with, for the Hilltoppers to remain a contender in Conference USA, but they’ve got their eyes on the primary goal, to get back to the NCAA Tournament after an 11-year absence.
(WKU won three straight last March, in Huntsville, Alabama, to take the Conference USA Tournament and become a No. 15 seed for the NCAA Tournament. The Tops led Marquette at halftime before the Golden Eagles rolled to an 87-69 victory over WKU in Indianapolis, and former coach Steve Lutz was on his way to Oklahoma State within a few days, leaving the Diddle keys to Plona, the former JUCO head coach at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa.)
WKU guard Don McHenry said the Hilltoppers’ early defensive pressure against Tennessee State helped set the tone for the resounding victory over the Tigers.
“They don’t play very well (against) the pressure, so we didn’t want to let them get comfortable, and settle into the game,” McHenry said. “We made that a key point, for sure, and we were getting out, pressuring them, making them uncomfortable and making things happen.”
Plona was able to distribute the minutes fairly easily with his starting five — McHenry, Lander, senior forward Tyrone Marshall Jr., senior forward Faye Babacar and senior guard Braxton Bayless — along with four players off the bench. The Tops’ Enoch Kalambay had eight points and five rebounds off the bench, getting significant playing time along with fellow reserves Jack Edelen, Leeroy Odeihi and Julius Thedford.
OPENED THE GAME ON A 16-4 RUN.
FOR A PATH TO THE BASKET.
A POPULAR WALK-ON GUARD FROM ARIZONA,
HAS HIT ONE 3-POINT FIELD GOAL IN FOUR GAMES.
One of the Hilltoppers’ most popular players, walk-on guard Tyler “Fluff” Olden, got in the game for the last two minutes but didn’t get the opportunity to take a shot.
“I was pretty pleased with our approach, our focus,” Plona said. “We got off to a great start, and Tennessee State hasn’t played in about 10 days … We’re starting to play full-court defense, where we can still be efficient on offense.”
Tennessee State’s Brandon Weston scored a game-high 22 points, hitting all 12 of his free throws, and the Tigers finished with a 43-34 rebounding advantage. TSU shot just 31.7 percent from the field, including a 22.1-percent showing from 3-point range.
Western Kentucky’s women’s basketball team (7-1 overall) will play host to Kentucky Wesleyan on Wednesday night. Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m.
WITH MURRAY STATE ON SATURDAY.
HAD 12 POINTS AND SIX REBOUNDS.
OUTSIDE AND NEAR THE BASKET.
AND I’m JUST LIVIN’ IN IT …