Nov. 3, 2001
Bowling Green, Ky. - The Western Kentucky Lady Topper basketball team shot 56% from the field and 46% from behind the three-point line, cruising to a 96-44 win over the Nashville All-Stars in Saturday's exhibition opener.
Western jumped out quickly in at the start of the game, opening with a 10-3 run over the first 3:19. After a three by Carolyn Aldridge pulled the All-Stars within six at 12-6, the Lady Toppers went on a 12-0 run over the next 3:08 to take a 24-6 lead on a jumper by Tiffiany Diggins (Jr., Des Moines, Wash.) with 12:07 to play in the half. WKU used another run of 14-0 to build the advantage to 43-11 on a fastbreak layup by Leslie Logsdon (So., Munfordville, Ky.) at the 6:05 mark. The Lady Toppers only allowed the All-Stars seven more points in the half as they took a 55-18 lead into intermission. Shala Reese (Jr., Easton, Texas) led all scorers with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the opening half.
The Lady Toppers continued to pile it on in the second half, getting the lead to 51 points at 78-27 on two free throws by Reese. WKU reached its long lead of the game with 23 seconds to play, taking a 54-point lead (60-42) on a layup by Jamie Truitt (So., Owensboro, Ky.). The All-Stars got a layup by Dana Holloway with four seconds left to make the final margin 52 points at 96-44.
Eleven players scored for Western, with Reese tying for game-high honors with 14 points. She also pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds. Logsdon and Truitt each added 12, while Kristina Covington (Jr., Elizabethtown, Ky.) finished in double figures with 10 points. Aldreige led the All-Stars with 14 points.
The Lady Toppers will play their final exhibition tuneup next Friday (Nov. 9) when they host Den Helder, a traveling team from Holland, at 8 p.m. (CST). That game will be proceeded by the Lady Topper volleyball team's final regular season match against Florida International at 6 p.m. Western will open the 40th season of Western women's basketball on Nov. 16 when it faces UC-Santa Barbara in the opener of the Stanford Tournament in Stanford, Calif.
-- WKU --
