Clark-Heard Postgame Interview | Bopp and Brown Postgame Interview
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU turned in its strongest defensive performance of the season and took down preseason C-USA favorite Middle Tennessee, 57-43, inside E.A. Diddle Arena on Thursday evening in the conference opener for both sides.
The Lady Toppers (10-4, 1-0 C-USA) limited the Blue Raiders to just 43 points, the fewest allowed by WKU in a single game this season, and held Middle Tennessee (8-6, 0-1 C-USA) to just 13-of-40 (32.5 percent) shooting from the floor. WKU earned its ninth win in its last 10 games, while Middle Tennessee dropped its third game over its last five outings.
Despite having her 20-point scoring streak snapped, Tashia Brown finished with a game-high 17 points while also chipping in seven rebounds and four assists. Ivy Brown and Sidnee Bopp joined her in double figures with 10 points apiece, and Brown picked up her eighth double-double of the season with a game-high 11 rebounds.
As a team, WKU knocked down 20 of its 59 shots (33.9 percent) on the night and finished 13-of-17 (76.5 percent) from the charity stripe. The Lady Toppers committed just 10 turnovers and turned 17 Middle Tennessee giveaways into 18 points on the night.
Abbey Sissom was the lone Blue Raider in double figures, finishing with 11 points. Middle Tennessee was limited to just 2-of-10 (20.0 percent) shooting from beyond the three-point arc by a stout Lady Topper defense.
Both sides got out to a slow start in the first quarter, with WKU taking an early 5-3 lead over the first four minutes of the contest. Just 90 seconds later, however, the Lady Toppers fired off eight unanswered points, led by five points from Ivy Brown, to grab a 13-3 advantage with 4:06 on the clock.
Middle Tennessee gradually trimmed the lead back to single digits by the midway point of the second quarter. Rebecca Reuter knocked down a pair of free throws at the 6:27 mark to cut WKU's lead to 15-11, but again the Lady Toppers responded with a long run to rebuild their double-digit advantage. Spurred by six straight points from Tashia Brown, WKU closed the frame on a 10-3 run to take a 25-14 lead into halftime.
Throughout the third quarter, the Blue Raiders were unable to close the gap any closer than 10 points. A brief run of five straight points, including three from Gabby Lyon, trimmed the deficit to 29-19; WKU fought back with five consecutive points of its own over the next two minutes to push the lead back to 15 points.
Two early three-pointers from Anna Jones and Sissom helped Middle Tennessee climb within eight points, 41-33, with 8:06 left in regulation, but that would be the closest that the Lady Topper would allow them to get. WKU used seven straight points spanning the middle of the quarter to push the advantage to 17, 54-37, and held off the Blue Raiders down the stretch to reach the 57-43 final score.
The Lady Toppers will face a quick turnaround as they become accustomed to C-USA play, getting just one day of rest before battling Southern Miss inside Diddle Arena on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. WKU defeated the Golden Eagles in the 2017 C-USA Tournament championship game and has won four straight in the series; Saturday's game will also be carried on Fox College Sports across the nation.
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