WKU Hosts Kentucky Wesleyan for Halloween Night Exhibition

Thursday, October 31

Bowling Green, Ky.

7 PM

Western Kentucky University

Kentucky Wesleyan

10/30/2019 1:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Live Stats

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The WKU women's basketball team will unofficially tip off the season on Halloween night against Kentucky Wesleyan for an exhibition game inside E.A. Diddle Arena. Tip is set for 7 p.m. and doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is free.

Local trick-or-treaters are invited to come and trick-or-treat prior to the game on the lower concourse of the Arena starting at 6 p.m.

Thursday's matchup is the only preseason tune-up for the Lady Toppers prior to the start of the 2019-20 season. WKU's first official game is November 5 against No. 9 Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center. That game is set for a 6 p.m. tip.

Last season, the Lady Toppers secured their seventh-straight 20-win season tying a program record for the longest streak. WKU made a run in the WNIT to close the season, topping Miami (Ohio) and Morehead State before falling to Ohio in the third round.

This season, WKU was picked to finish third in Conference USA by the league coaches, behind 2019 regular season and tournament champion Rice and Middle Tennessee. The Lady Toppers finished tied for third last season alongside the Blue Raiders.

Redshirt senior Dee Givens and junior Raneem Elgedawy were selected to the C-USA Preseason All-Conference team. The preseason team is made up of eight individuals. Givens was C-USA's third leading scorer last season, averaging 17.6 points per game, and earned a C-USA All-Conference First Team and All-Defensive Team nods at the end of the season. Elgedawy earned C-USA All-Conference Second Team honors at the end of last season. She had six double-doubles in 2018-19 and was only the second Lady Topper to record multiple 20-rebound games with a 21-board performance at Little Rock.

Overall, the Lady Toppers return 86 percent of its offensive production from a season ago, including all five of the top scorers from 2018-19.

Senior point guard Whitney Creech is back for her final season on The Hill. Creech posted 117 assists last season compared to only 51 turnovers, good for a 2.29 assist-to-turnover ratio.

C-USA All-Freshmen team member from last season, Meral Abdelgawad will return looking to add on to her successful rookie campaign. Junior Sherry Porter played in all 35 games last season and scored in double-figures seven time, including 20 points against Marshall. Alexis Brewer burst on the scene last season, ending 2018-19 on a hot streak. She'll miss the beginning of the 2019-20 season with an injury but head coach Greg Collins hopes to have her back soon.

The Lady Toppers welcomed a few newcomers for the upcoming season. Myriah Haywood and Sandra Skinner will be familiar faces for the fans. Both Haywood and Skinner redshirted the 2018-19 season. Skinner is a transfer from VCU and sat out the season due to transfer rules. Haywood sat out due to injury.

WKU also welcomed transfers Fatou Pouye and Bree Glover in the offseason. Pouye comes to Bowling Green from South Georgia Tech, a junior college, and will be eligible for the 2019-20 season. Glover last played at Ole Miss and is from nearby Glasgow, Kentucky.

The 2019 signing class included Tori Hunter, Hya Haywood and De'Myla Brown.

WKU last hosted Kentucky Wesleyan for an exhibition during the 2013-14 season. The Lady Toppers earned an 87-49 win against the Panthers on Oct. 29, 2013.

Season and single-game tickets are now on sale through the WKU Ticket Office online at WKUTickets.com or by phone at 1-800-5-BIGRED or 745-5222 locally.

How to Follow the Lady Toppers: For complete information on WKU Lady Topper Basketball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @LadyTopperHoops on Twitter, @LadyTopperHoops on Instagram and on Facebook at facebook.com/WKUWomensBasketball.