Jim Mashek

WKU WILL TRAVEL TO EVANSVILLE TO FACE TRADITION-RICH INDIANA ON SUNDAY

There were plenty of rough edges, but even more encouraging signs.

The Western Kentucky men’s basketball team began its 2026-27 journey with an exhibition game against Bowling Green State on Tuesday night at WKU’s historic E.A. Diddle Arena, and the Hilltoppers led most of the way before holding on for a 65-62 victory over the Falcons.

All-Conference USA forward Teagan Moore led the way for the Tops, finishing the game with a team-high 22 points, and eight WKU players got into the scoring column before the Falcons’ last-ditch attempt to force an overtime fell by the wayside.

BGSU’s Josiah Shackleford misfired on a rushed 3-pointer from the right sideline, from about 30 feet from the basket, before the ball fell off the far side of the backboard to seal the victory for the Hilltoppers.

Third-year WKU head coach Hank Plona said the Falcons’ zone defense posed problems for the Hilltoppers, keeping Bowling Green within striking distance for most of the second half. BGSU also labored at the free-throw line, hitting just 14 of 30 foul shots.

“We executed well enough to get the win,” Plona said. “(The zone defense) gives us something to work on … We have a great group of young men, and they’re very connected, very together.”

Plona was sporting dress slacks, a long sleeve button-down shirt and a bright red sweater vest on the sideline, to honor the late WKU coach Jim Richards. The Hilltoppers gave up five made 3-point shots after halftime, which helped keep Bowling Green State in the game.

“We’re going to watch the tape, learn from our mistakes,” Moore said. “It’s been a ‘checkpoint.’ That’s what Coach Hank calls it. It’s a long journey, and we’re just getting started.”

Moore hit seven of 14 shots from the field, including one 3-pointer, while leading all scorers with 22 points. Junior guard Sharron Young, a transfer from Akron University — one of Bowling Green’s rivals in the Mid-American Conference — added 11 points, while senior WKU guard L.J. Hackman finished with 10.

Hackman and sophomore WKU guard Armelo Boone both had eight rebounds, but that was one area in which the Falcons shined. BGSU finished with a 45-39 edge on the boards, with Preston Squire and Tristan Beckford leading the way with 11 and 10 rebounds, respectively.

The Hilltoppers got solid efforts from two other first-year players, senior guard Trevion LaBeaux, a transfer from East Carolina University, and sophomore forward Moussa Konare, a JUCO product who hails from Mali.

Western Kentucky got 36 points, more than half of its total for the night, in the paint. Teagan Moore is effective near the basket, and the 6-foot-10 Konare is a player to watch along those lines.

“We put a lot of pressure on the rim,” Plona said.

The Hilltoppers will face tradition-rich Indiana University in its second and final exhibition game on Sunday afternoon, at the Ford Center in Evansville. WKU opens the season against former OVC rival Morehead State on November 2 at E.A. Diddle Arena.

“I have the utmost confidence, that in five months, that we can be an elite team,” Plona said.

WKU broke an 11-year drought from the NCAA Tournament in 2024, winning the C-USA Tournament in Huntsville, Alabama, before taking a first-round exit against second-seeded Marquette. Plona replaced former WKU coach Steve Lutz, now at Oklahoma State University, after that season.