Dec. 30, 2002
Bowling Green, Ky. - The Western Kentucky women's basketball could not overcome a late run as Liberty handed the Lady Toppers a 71-57 loss Monday night at Diddle Arena.
The Lady Flames (6-3) scored the first five points of the game before Western (5-5) got on the board at the 18:16 mark on a putback from Shala Reese (Sr., Easton, Texas). Liberty remained in front, however, until a three by Kristina Covington (Sr., Elizabethtown, Ky.) evened the game at 7-7 with 17:00 left in the half. The Flames answered with a three from Agne Jasinskaite on the next possession, and built the advantage to five (12-7), before another Lady Topper run evened the game for a second time when a Krystal Gardner (Fr., Munfordville, Ky.) layup with 12:33 to play made it a 14-14 game. WKU finally grabbed its first lead of the contest at the 9:19 mark when two free throws by Leah Lineberry (Jr., Calvert City, Ky.) made it an 18-16 game. The Lady Toppers pushed the lead to four on two different occasions, but each time the Lady Flames fought back, and eventually they were able to regain the advantage 27-26 on a Tekita Butler jumper in the lane with 4:23 to play. The teams played even the rest of the half, but a running jumper by Stephanie Walker at the buzzer sent Liberty into intermission with a 35-32 lead.
Reese led all scorers at the half with 10 points, while Leslie Logsdon (Jr., Munfordville, Ky.) added eight. Katie Feenstra paced Liberty with eight points and six rebounds.
Western opened the half on a 4-0 spurt to take a 36-35 lead on a Covington layup, but Liberty again regained the lead, and was able to build the advantage to nine when a jumper by Monique Leonard made it a 49-40 game midway through the half. A layup by Logsdon, and back-to-back threes from Covington pulled the Lady Toppers within one (51-50) with 7:22 remaining. However, the Lady Flames scored eight unanswered to build the lead back to 58-50 with 5:44 left to play. The Lady Toppers got as close as four, but Liberty pushed back in front and took its first double-digit lead of the game with 2:17 remaining on three-point play from Leonard. Western got back within eight on a Logsdon jumper, but the Lady Toppers would get no closer as the Lady Flames claimed the 71-57 win.
Reese led three Lady Toppers in double figures with 16 points, while also collecting 10 rebounds. Logsdon added 14, while Covington chipped in 11. Walker paced Liberty with 16 points off the bench.
Western will head back on the road right after the new year, taking on Tennessee Tech on Thursday (Jan. 2) at 7 p.m. (CST) in Cookeville, Tenn.
- WKU -
