FOLLOWS THROUGH
ON A SECOND-HALF DUNK.
WKU TAKES 4-2 LEAGUE RECORD INTO SATURDAY’s HOME GAME AGAINST KENNESAW STATE
The Western Kentucky men’s basketball team understood what it was up against, when the Hilltoppers played host to Missouri State on Wednesday night at WKU’s historic E.A. Diddle Arena.
An inside presence.
Second-year WKU head coach Hank Plona drilled this into his squad, after last week’s 68-56 victory over UTEP in El Paso, Texas, a game that put the Hilltoppers over the .500 mark in the early stages of Conference USA play.
“Those dudes play with a lot of confidence,” Plona said during his media availability on Tuesday morning inside Diddle Arena.
The dudes that played with a lot of confidence were decked out in red-and-white uniforms one day later.
Western Kentucky struggled out of the gate, as is its wont, but the Tops quickly settled in before thumping Missouri State, 87-72, before a paid crowd of 2,745.
The Hilltoppers improved to 11-6 overall, but more important, they pushed their C-USA record to 4-2, heading into Saturday afternoon’s home game against Kennesaw State (11-6 overall, 3-3 in C-USA).
PLAYED LIKE A MATURE BASKETBALL TEAM …’
AND THE BEARS LED BY AS MANY AS
SEVEN POINTS IN THE FIRST HALF.
LED ALL SCORERS WITH 24 POINTS.
HAS STABILIZED THE TOPS
IN THE BACKCOURT.
Sophomore swingman Teagan Moore, the Tops’ steady offensive catalyst, scored 16 of his team-high 20 points in the second half, as Western Kentucky kept Missouri State at arm’s length on its way to a critical league victory. In the first half, it was senior forward Grant Newell’s 14 points that pushed WKU to a 41-34 advantage at the break.
Throw in a solid tag-team effort from WKU’s three big men — starting center Noah Boyde, a 7-foot, 245-pound senior, along with backups Blaise Keita and Leeroy Odiahi — and the Hilltoppers found the winning touch that eluded them in the early stages of the season.
“We probably had more late shot-clock baskets than I can remember this team having all year,” Plona said when it was over. “I thought we played like a mature basketball team.”
Another element, of course, is senior WKU point guard Terrion Murdix, who has been plagued by knee injuries thoughout his college career. Murdix logged nearly 26 minutes against the Bears, who really didn’t have a defender to match him, step for step. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Murdix finished the night with nine points, six assists, four rebounds and just one turnover.
The Hilltoppers extended their lead into double digits in the first six minutes of the second half, and Missouri State failed to make a serious threat. The Bears’ Keith Palek III, a 6-foot-9 senior forward, led all scorers with 24 points, while teammate Michael Osei-Bonsu, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound bruiser, added 13 points and seven rebounds before fouling out late in the game.
LED THE HILLTOPPERS WITH 20 POINTS.
WAS A TOUGH CUSTOMER INSIDE.
THE GAME WITH NINE POINTS AND SIX ASSISTS.
AGAINST THE BEARS’ ZAXTON KING.
The Bears put up 35 shots from 3-point land, hitting just nine of them, while WKU showed improvement in its shot selection. The Hilltoppers shot 51 percent from the field, including a 7-for-16 showing (44 percent) from 3-point range.
WKU senior guard Ryan Myers hit two of those 3-pointers, at critical times in the second half, following the lead of Hilltoppers teammate Grant Newell in the first half. Newell went 3-for-5 from 3-point range, finishing the game with 14 points and seven rebounds.
“I always have confidence in my shot,” Newell said. “We just stayed together, tonight …”
WKU junior guard L.J. Hackman hit all three of his shots, one from 3-point range, along with a perfect 4-for-4 showing at the free-throw line, finishing the game with 11 points. WKU freshman Armelo Boone played with his usual tenacity and also had 11 points, while adding four rebounds and three steals.
Add it all up, and the Tops were destined to come out on top in this one.
“We talk about ‘holding the line of scrimmage,'” WKU guard Teagan Moore said. “(Missouri State) came out early, and got an early lead … We were just able to stay together, stay confident in our abilities and fight back for the rest of the game.”
AVERAGES 17.6 POINTS PER GAME.
IN ITS HALF-COURT OFFENSE.
THE BELL IN THE SECOND HALF.
With Missouri State’s Keith Palek III and Michael Osei-Bonsu operating near the basket, the Hilltoppers used steady defensive play from veteran WKU,centers Noah Boyde, Blaise Keita and, late in the game, Leeroy Odiahi, to stay on the winning track.
“(Missouri State) is a strong, physical team,” WKU coach Hank Plona said. “… We want to be able to use our length, and Noah did a great job after picking up a couple early fouls … (Osei-Bonsu) is a tricky matchup, for a 7-footer.”
The Hilltoppers lost senior WKU center Bryant Selebangue to a torn Achilles tendon in mid-December, but they seem to have made some adjustments since then.
“We have a lot of confidence in their abilities,” Moore said.
Now the Hilltoppers will turn their attention to Saturday’s home game against Kennesaw State, which is 11-6 overall and 3-3 in Conference USA play. The Owls slipped past Florida International, 89-86, on Wednesday night in Kennesaw, Georgia.
“We know (Kennesaw State) can put up a lot of points, in a hurry,” Plona said. “So yeah, we’re definitely happy we’ve got some offensive confidence, and I think that can only help us on Saturday.”
Tip-off for Saturday’s game is at 2 p.m.
MISSOURI STATE’s CUONZO MARTIN AFTER THE GAME.
PLAY HOST TO KENNESAW STATE ON SATURDAY.
ON FEBRUARY 13 AT HOME AGAINST BYU.
ABOUT THE COLD WEATHER.