WKU’s Teresa Faustino shoots a layup against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Acacia Hayes drives against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Josie Gilvin shoots a 3-pointer against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Destiny Salary drives against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Alexis Mead sets to shoot against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Mackenzie Chatfield drives against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Acacia Hayes drives around a screen by teammate Odeth Betancourt against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Destiny Salary grabs a rebound against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Alexis Mead drives against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Odeth Betancourt shoots in the lane against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Acacia Hayes shoots a layup against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Destiny Salary attempts a shot in the lane against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
WKU’s Acacia Hayes drives against Sam Houston in a Conference USA contest. The Lady Toppers won, 76-60. John Brown/104TheScore
Courtesy of WKU Athletics
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU women’s basketball welcomes New Mexico State for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff at E.A. Diddle Arena on Thursday, Jan. 18.
Fans attending the game are asked to park in Parking Structure 2, located between Diddle Arena and Houchen-Smith Stadium.
Thursday’s game is a Black Out and the first 200 fans will receive a free black WKU t-shirt. It is also the annual Critter Classic. The first 250 fans will receive a free Tops dog bowl.
Game Info
WKU (12-6, 3-0 CUSA) vs. New Mexico State (6-9, 0-2 CUSA)
Thursday, Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m.
Bowling Green, Ky. | E.A. Diddle Arena
Watch: ESPN+
Links: Listen (ESPN 102.7/Varsity Network) | Live Stats
About the Lady Toppers
WKU is off to a 3-0 start to league play for the sixth time since joining CUSA 10 years ago. WKU and FIU are tied at the top of the CUSA standings with a 3-0 record and Middle Tennessee is just below at 2-0.
Acacia Hayes is WKU’s and CUSA’s leading scorer, putting up 16.7 points per game. She also leads the conference in total points (284) and made free throws (66) and is second in free throw percentage (85.7) and field goal attempts (209).
Alexis Mead is the conference’s steals (36) leader this season and is second in the league in assists (71). The junior point guard is putting up 10.9 points per game, dishing out 3.9 assists per game and averaging 2.0 steals per game. Mead has averaged 14.3 points and 6.0 assists per game over the last three games.
Destiny Salary has made her impact known with just seven games under her belt as a Lady Topper. Salary is scoring 15.0 points per game that includes two 20-point performances. She’s led WKU in scoring in three of her seven games played.
WKU is forcing teams into 20.28 turnovers per game this season, which is the second highest average in CUSA and 35th highest in the nation. On those turnovers, the Lady Toppers are averaging 11.3 steals per game which is the most in the league and 24th in the NCAA.
The Lady Toppers finished non-conference play with wins against Mercer, Southern Utah, Cornell, Miami (OH), Bucknell, Vermont, Abilene Christian, Nevada and West Virginia State for a 9-6 record.
WKU was picked to finish tied for second place in the Conference USA preseason coaches poll released earlier in October. The Lady Toppers are coming off a second place CUSA finish in 2022-23, a championship game appearance in the CUSA tournament and a WNIT berth.
Hayes and Mead were named to the CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team in October.
Series History
Thursday’s game between WKU and New Mexico State will be the eighth all-time meeting between the two teams. WKU owns a 6-1 record against the Aggies, including a 3-0 record at home.
It will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2005.
About the Aggies
New Mexico State is off to a 0-2 start in their first year in CUSA. The Aggies have dropped games against UTEP (81-72) and FIU (57-52).
The Aggies are the top 3-point shooting team by percentage in the conference, making 34.3 percent of their shots from range this season. The Aggies also have the top 3-point percentage defense in the league, holding teams to 25.2 from beyond the arc. That mark is the 17th best in the country. New Mexico State is holding teams to an average score of 58.7, which is the second best average in the league.
Molly Kaiser is the top scorer for New Mexico State, averaging 14.9 points per game.
Ene Adams is the team’s leader on the boards, pulling down 5.3 rebounds per game.
Jaila Harding leads the conference in 3-point percentage, averaging 36.1 percent from three.
Sabou Gueye is averaging 2.14 steals per game, which leads CUSA.
Sianny Sanchez-Oliver has a 1.55 assist-turnover ratio, which is the second best in the league.
Up Next
The Lady Toppers will host UTEP in Diddle Arena on Saturday, Jan. 20 at noon. It will be Taylor Swift Day in Diddle, with bracelet making stations and a giveaway of Taylor Swift vinyls. A father-daughter dance will follow the game on the main court of Diddle.
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