The Lady Topper basketball team goes in search of a season sweep over Troy Saturday when it visits the Trojans for a 4 p.m. (CST) tipoff. WKU defeated Troy 64-38 back on on Jan. 7 in Bowling Green.
Saturday's contest will be televised on the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network, and will be available on Fox College Sports and DirecTV channel 617.
Close Calls - Despite a 3-8 Sun Belt Conference record, WKU has found itself in a position to win in nearly every league game this year - especially of late. The Lady Toppers have dropped their last four games by a combined 13 points, falling by two at FAU, but three at Middle Tennessee, and by four points to both FIU and South Alabama. Add a four-point loss at ULM, and five of WKU's league setbacks have been by 17 total points. Its largest conference defeat was a nine-point loss to UALR. In fact, WKU holds a +4 scoring margin in league games this season.
Owens Doubles Up - As she continues her team-leading efforts down the stretch of the season, senior LaTeira Owens posted her sixth double-double of the season Wednesday night with 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds at Middle Tennessee. Four of Owens' six double-doubles this year have come during her current stretch of seven straight double-digit scoring games. In fact, dating back to the game at Denver, Owens is averaging a double-double - tossing in 16.1 points and pulling down 10.1 rebounds per game. She is also averaging nearly 33 minutes per game and shooting almost 50 percent from the field.
Govan Solid Again - Back in the starting lineup for the second straight game, freshman Alexis Govan tossed in 11 points and pulled down five rebounds in 31 minutes at Middle Tennessee. The San Antonio rookie was also perfect at the line, connecting on all five of her free-throw attempts. In addition to her scoring, Govan again showed her ability to run the offense, dishing out a team-high four assists. She has now led WKU in assists in three straight games, and has a team-high 46 on the season.
Means From Deep - Sophomore guard Chaney Means tied a career high with 12 points at Middle Tennessee, doing all her damage from long range. Means finished with a career-best four three pointers in the contest, accounting for four of WKU's six makes from beyond the arc. Three of her triples came in the second half, including one with 55 seconds left to give the Lady Toppers a brief one-point lead. Only Vanessa Obafemi has more made threes in a game this season for WKU than Means. Obafemi finished 5-for-7 from long range against Florida International on Dec. 11. Danay Fothergill also had four made threes early in the season against Wright State.
Balanced Effort - WKU had three players in double figures at Middle Tennessee, and saw six players finish with at least five points against the Blue Raiders. In addition, nine Lady Toppers logged double-digit minutes Wednesday night, with seven of those nine playing at least 18 minutes..
Back To the Boards - After being outrebounded for the first time in 11 games last Saturday against South Alabama, WKU returned to the form that has it ranked in the top 30 nationally in rebounding margin, holding a 44-35 advantage on the glass against MTSU. That included a +6 margin on the glass in the second half. The lady Toppers finished with 14 offensive boards on Wednesday, with 12 of those second-chance opportunities coming after halftime.
