WKU’s Babacar Faye shoots at the rim against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
A member of the WKU cheer squad waves a flag during the Hilltoppers’ game against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Babacar Faye drives against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Tyrone Marshall drives the lane against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Brandon Newman is fouled as he shoots in the lane against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Enoch Kalambay grabs a rebound against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Tyrone Marshall celebrates after his team’s win over EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Don McHenry drives against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Enoch Kalambay attempts a shot in the lane against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Don McHenry drives against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Dontaie Allen reaches for a loose ball against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Brandon Newman shoots a jumper against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Khristian Lander drives against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Dontaie Allen drives the lane against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Jalen Jackson drives against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Enoch Kalambay drives against EKU. The Hilltoppers won, 79-69. John Brown/104TheScore
Courtesy of WKU Athletics
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Hilltopper Basketball defeated Eastern Kentucky on Sunday, 79-69, in E.A. Diddle Arena. The win marks the sixth of the season for the Hilltoppers and the fifth straight over the Colonels.
Stifling defense from WKU in the second half helped lead the Tops to victory, holding the Colonels to just 26 points while forcing EKU into 12 turnovers. WKU notched seven steals and cashed in for a total of 17 points off turnovers.
“The fans gave us a huge boost and advantage in the second half when we needed it most,” head coach Steve Lutz said. “That’s what makes college basketball and a place like Western Kentucky so special – we have a great fan base and people that really care.”
After dishing out a season-best 21 assists last Wednesday night in the team’s 101-77 win over Campbellsville, the Red and White continued to share the ball on Sunday facing the Colonels, charting a total of 17 assists for the game. Brandon Newman led the team in assists with five, while going for 19 points and nine rebounds – one shy of a double-double. 12 of Newman’s points came in the second half.
A successful trip to the foul line gave the Colonels an early 2-0 lead just over a minute in. A Don McHenry triple got the Hilltoppers on the board with 17:40 to play in the first half and brought the count to 5-3 in EKU’s favor.
Khristian Lander’s second three of the night tied the game at 11 apiece. A blow-by layup from McHenry gave WKU its first lead with 13:36 in the half, 13-12.
The Hilltoppers fourth three of the night, this time from McHenry, gave WKU an 18-14 lead. Pushing the lead to nine, the Colonels finally answered at the 9:40 mark in the second half and cut the margin down to five, 23-18.
The teams went on a minute-long scoring drought before a pull-up jump shot from EKU cut the lead to three with 6:31 left in the half. A Hilltopper turnover resulted in a Colonel three and tied the outing at 25 all. After a converted jumper by Newman gave the Tops a two-point lead, the teams went on another defensive bout with EKU breaking the scoreless run off a three to take the lead, 28-27, with 4:45 remaining in the period. Another Tops’ turnover resulted in another Colonel triple and gave EKU a four-point lead, 31-27.
McHenry’s second three of the night cut the deficit to two, snapping the 7-0 EKU run. Trailing by 7 with under three minutes till the break, McHenry found his way to the basket drawing contact and converting the three-point play to trim the margin back to four.
Down eight with 90 seconds till half, Enoch Kalambay found Dontaie Allen on the right wing for his first three of the night. WKU shut down a last-second shot chance for the Colonels, going into the locker room trailing, 43-36.
McHenry led the way for the Hilltoppers in the first half, going for 16 points of a 3-of-4 three-point clip. Newman added seven points with a team-high four assists and a steal. WKU shot at a 37.1 percent clip in the first with seven of their 13 total field goals coming from beyond the arc.
The second period saw McHenry pick up where he left off, driving to the basket and connecting on a floater just 10 seconds into the half. A defensive stand and coast-to-coast lay-in from Tyrone Marshall Jr. made it a one possession game, WKU trailing 43-40.
Jalen Jackson’s first points of the night came off a Colonel turnover at the 17:31 mark in the second. A three-minute-long EKU scoring drought paved the way for WKU to go on a 9-0 run and take its first lead since the 5:59 mark in the first half. A three from Lander gave the Tops a 47-45 lead with 16:14 to play in regulation. In the stretch, the Colonels committed five turnovers.
Babacar Faye found his way to the basket with 13:32 to play, giving the Tops a five-point cushion. EKU’s eighth turnover of the half resulted in a Lander assisted lay-up from Kalambay and a 56-51 WKU lead. The steal marked the sixth of the half for the Tops.
A three-minute scoreless drought, this time by WKU, allowed the Colonels to cut the lead to just one with 9:16 to play. A long two from Lander in the right corner broke the scoreless streak. The Colonels responded with a bucket before turning the ball back over to WKU, allowing Marshall Jr. to drain a three and improve the Tops’ lead to 61-57 with 7:42 to play.
WKU then used a 6-0 run led by Newman’s four made free throws to take a 67-59 lead with 5:40 remaining. A diving pass from Newman found Lander wide open in the corner, draining a three and extending the lead to 11 with 4:32 left.
A bank-in from Marshall Jr. gave WKU its largest lead of the night, up 74-61, with just under three minutes remaining. The Hilltoppers held the Colonels to just two made baskets in the final 2:05 of the game, and WKU saw victory over the Colonels, 79-69.
The win improves the Hilltoppers’ record to 6-3 on the year. WKU now holds a 117-44 all-time record facing EKU in the “Battle of the Bluegrass.”
WKU will travel to Buffalo, N.Y. and take on Buffalo on Saturday, Dec. 9 with tipoff slated for 1 p.m. CT. The game will stream live on ESPN+ with live stats available for fans.
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