Feb. 5, 2014
JONESBORO, Ark. - Redshirt freshman Kendall Noble had a career high 27 points but WKU was unable to capture a win, falling 78-75 in overtime to Arkansas State.
The aggressive Noble hit 9-of-15 shots and converted on 9-of-12 attempts at the free throw line. She added four rebounds, two assists and three steals in playing all 45 minutes of the game. WKU (14-7, 6-4) shot 48.3 percent, but was outrebounded for the eighth consecutive game.
Arkansas State (14-8, 8-2) won despite not having a field goal past the 1:53 mark of overtime, converting on 5-of-6 free throws in the final moments of the game to win, including 4-of-4 from Aundrea Gamble.
The first half was truly a game of runs as the teams combined for four runs of 5-0 or better, five lead changes and five ties, including the resting spot of 29-29 at halftime. The teams got off to a quick start as WKU jumped out to a quick 11-8 lead before the first media timeout as Noble showed glimpses of a hot start with WKU's first four points.
The teams exchanged runs the remainder of the half with WKU getting an 8-2 run to end the half for the halftime score. The Lady Toppers shot 38.5 percent, but converted on 7-of-8 chances from the charity stripe in the opening stanza. Arkansas State used an 18-15 advantage on the boards and 46.2 percent shooting to maintain pace in the back-and-forth game in the opening 20 minutes.
The teams continued to exchange leads early in the second half until WKU used a 6-0 run to take a 46-45 lead to 52-45 with baskets by Jalynn McClain, Noble and Gaines. After a three by Arkansas State, WKU answered with baskets by Noble and Gaines to open up a 56-48 lead, its largest of the game. Arkansas State gradually fought back in the final minutes of regulation. After Noble hit a free throw with 25.5 left, Arkansas State's Jane Morrill nailed a three-point basket with 17.6 remaining to send the game into overtime.
COMING UP NEXT: WKU returns to action on Saturday when the Lady Toppers travel to UALR to face the Trojans. Tipoff is set for 2:15 p.m. CT at the Jack Stephens Center.
COMING UP NEXT IN E.A. DIDDLE ARENA: Following the two-game swing to Arkansas, WKU returns home for a three-game homestand. The Lady Toppers open with Troy on Feb. 12 at 7:00 p.m. followed by a Feb. 15 game against South Alabama at 2:00 p.m. The game with Troy is Fan Apprecitation Night at E.A. Diddle Arena with fans able to purchase game tickets for just $5. The game with South Alabama will mark the celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day at WKU. Girls in grades three through eight can participate in a gameday clinic. Registration is now open through the women's basketball page on WKUSports.com at http://bit.ly/1a8jLO0. WKU closes the homestand with a contest against ULM on Feb. 22 at 2:00 p.m. in conjunction with the annual Critter Classic. All three games during the homestand will be available nationally on television through ESPN3 via the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network.
Single-game tickets for the remainder of the 2013-14 season are currently available for purchase by contacting the WKU Ticket Office. For more information, visit www.wkusports.com, call 1-800-5-BIG-RED or visit the ticket office in E.A. Diddle Arena.
Tickets for the 2014 Men's and Women's Sun Belt Basketball Tournament are also on sale through the WKU Ticket Office. Each ticket book contains eight tickets. There are a total of eight sessions, with sessions 1-6 including two games and session seven being the Women's Championship and session eight being the Men's Championship. The ticket price is $99 and seats are general admission.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE LADY TOPPERS: For complete information on Lady Topper Basketball, visit www.wkusports.com, follow the program on Instagram via "LadyTopperHoops" or follow the program on Twitter via @LadyTopperHoops. The official twitter hashtag of the 2013-14 season for Lady Topper Basketball is #ClimbingTheLadder.
