Lady Toppers Head North to Battle Undefeated Ball State Thursday

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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - In its final game before the holidays, WKU will travel to Muncie, Ind., on Thursday evening for a battle at undefeated Ball State set for a 6 p.m. (CT) tipoff. Ball State enters the matchup on a 10-game winning streak, while WKU has won its last seven consecutive games.

At the West Palm Beach Invitational, the Lady Toppers took down Stetson and Toledo to extend their winning streak. Tashia Brown averaged 26.5 points against the Hatters and Rockets, Ivy Brown picked up a pair of double-doubles and Raneem Elgedawy continued her strong freshman season with her second double-double of the year against Stetson.

Tashia Brown (22.9 points per game) continues to lead all C-USA players in scoring and has tallied seven straight 20-point games for the Lady Toppers, the longest such stretch by any Lady Topper since Crystal Kelly had nine straight 20-point outings in 2006-07.

Ball State (10-0) sports five players in double figures, led by Moriah Monaco's 16.3 points per game; Destiny Washington (13.0), Carmen Grande (12.8), Jasmin Samz (11.9) and Frannie Frazier (10.7) round out the Cardinal quintet in double figures. Grande leads the team with 99 total assists, while Oshlynn Brown has pulled down a team-best 7.1 boards per game.

After Thursday's clash, WKU will be off until Friday, Dec. 29, at 5:30 p.m. (CT) when the Lady Toppers welcome Lee University to E.A. Diddle Arena to kick off a four-game homestand.

GAME #12 – WKU AT RV/NR BALL STATE
WKU (8-3, 0-0 C-USA) at RV/NR Ball State (10-0, 0-0 Mid-American)
December 21, 2017 | 6:00 p.m. (CT)
Muncie, Ind. | Worthen Arena (11,500)

QUICK SHOTS
- As of Dec. 19, WKU is ranked No. 34 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings and will face No. 28 Ball State on Thursday evening. WKU is the lone C-USA representative in the top 100 of the rankings, with Middle Tennessee second at No. 130.

- Tashia Brown leads C-USA and ranks sixth in the nation with 22.9 points per game in 2017-18. Brown has seven straight 20-point games and is one of only two Division I players (alongside Temple's Tanaya Atkinson) to have such a streak this season.

- Over the last four meetings between WKU and Ball State, both teams have defended their home court with a pair of victories. The Lady Toppers will be seeking their first win in Muncie since a 61-58 win on Nov. 16, 2009, on Thursday evening.

- Tashia Brown and Raneem Elgedawy each earned awards this week, with Brown capturing C-USA Player of the Week and College Sports Madness High-Major National Player of the Week and Elgedawy earning her third C-USA Freshman of the Week honor and becoming the first Lady Topper to win USBWA National Freshman of the Week.

- After allowing an average of 82.8 points per game across its first four matchups this season, WKU's defense has buckled down during its seven-game winning streak. During that stretch, the Lady Toppers are giving up only 55.7 points per game and have not allowed more than 63 points in any single contest.

- Just one week after Ivy Brown tied the program record with 16 points in the third quarter at Southern Illinois, Tashia Brown matched that mark in the third quarter against Toledo on Dec. 17. Brown scored 16 of the team's 18 points in the frame, including 14 straight points, and outscored the entire Toledo team, 16-13, over the 10-minute span.

- Already 13th in program history with 1,583 career points, Tashia Brown is looking to move even further up the charts during her senior season. To move into the top 10 in school history, Brown would need to score 180 more points during her final season on The Hill.

- WKU has been very strong at collecting its own misses this season and has tallied nearly as many offensive rebounds as those on the defensive end. The Lady Toppers have pulled down a league-leading 16.2 offensive boards per game, and Ivy Brown ranks second among all C-USA players with 4.0 offensive rebounds per game. WKU's 16.2 offensive boards also ranks 29th in the nation among Division I teams.

- After knocking down two of her three three-pointers against Toledo, Sidnee Bopp now ranks second among C-USA players with her 48.7 three-point field goal percentage this season. Heading into Thursday's game at Ball State, Bopp is 19-of-39 from three-point range this season, and her 48.7 percent mark would currently set the program single-season record.

- WKU is currently shooting 164-of-214 (.766) from the free throw line this season, with only four players shooting below 80 percent among those who have attempted at least one free throw. The Lady Toppers' 164 made free throws are the most among C-USA teams, and their 76.6 percent success rate tops the league and ranks 19th in the nation.

- With a win on Thursday, WKU would continue an impressive run under Michelle Clark-Heard in games played prior to January 1. The Lady Toppers are 57-16 (.781) in such games since the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign.

- With five weekly awards (Tashia Brown's Player of the Week on Nov. 13 and Dec. 18 and Raneem Elgedawy's Freshman of the Week on Nov. 20, Dec. 4 and Dec. 20) this season, WKU has already exceeded its total from the entire 2016-17 campaign.

- With its come-from-behind win at Georgia State, WKU continued a strong trend under Michelle Clark-Heard of being able to rally from large deficits. Since the beginning of the 2015-16 season, WKU owns 11 victories when trailing at the halftime break and four wins when down with five minutes to play in regulation.

- WKU has started a true freshman at least five times in each of the last four seasons. Tashia Brown earned five starts in 2014-15, Kayla Smith drew 31 starts in 2015-16, Sarah Price appeared in the starting lineup five times in 2016-17 and Raneem Elgedawy has started WKU's first 11 games this season.

- WKU owns an impressive record under Clark-Heard when breaking the 80-point barrier. The Lady Toppers have posted a near-perfect 50-2 mark when scoring 80 or more since the 2012-13 season.

- Through 11 games, Ivy Brown is approaching the top 10 in program history in total rebounds, needing just 55 more boards to break into that group. The Hodgenville, Ky., native is also tied for eighth in school history with 113 blocks and her 79.6 percent mark from the free throw line for her career is seventh among all Lady Toppers who have made at least 200 free throws.

BROADCAST
Listen: 102.7 FM and 1450AM in Bowling Green (Jevin Redman, pxp)
Watch: ESPN3 (Online Stream)
Live Stats: Courtesy of Ball State Athletics

Lady Toppers Head North to Battle Undefeated Ball State Thursday

Players Mentioned

Sidnee Bopp

Ivy Brown

Tashia Brown

Raneem Elgedawy

Sarah Price

Kayla Smith

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