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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The WKU women's basketball team starts a five-game road stretch against Ball State on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. (CST) and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The Lady Toppers are 6-2 on the season, coming off of a 74-63 win against Oklahoma on Wednesday night. Ball State is 4-3 on the year, most recently dropping a 67-56 decision to Wisconsin last Friday.
After falling behind in the first quarter against Oklahoma, WKU bounced back to take a one-point lead into halftime. The second half the Lady Toppers were able to gain some breathing room, outscoring the Sooners 43-33. Elgedawy led WKU in scoring for the third straight game with 23 points. Dee Givens (18) and Whitney Creech (17) joined her in double figures.
Saturday's meeting between WKU and Ball State will be the ninth all-time. The Cardinals hold a 5-3 record against the Lady Toppers. The two teams have faced off against each for seven consecutive seasons.
In last season's tilt between the two teams, the Lady Toppers had four double-digit scorers. Givens and Alexis Brewer led the WKU scorers with 19 points each. In a close game that came down to the wire, the Cardinals prevailed 86-83 after a three from WKU missed the mark at the buzzer.
Elgedawy is currently the leading scorer in Conference USA, averaging 17.1 points per game and she's the second leading rebounder in the league, pulling down 10.8 boards per game. Just a point below her, Creech is the fifth-leading scorer in the conference putting up 16.1 points per game. Dee Givens joins them as the third Lady Topper averaging double figures with an average of 15.3 points per game.
Much of WKU's success this season has come from an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball. Through eight games this season, the Lady Toppers have held six teams below 70 points, going a perfect 6-0 in those games. Of those six games, three have featured WKU keeping opponents below 60. In the last four seasons, WKU is 66-7 when holding opponents to below 70 and 37-0 when holding them below 60.
The defensive strategy for the Lady Toppers have been to put pressure on the ball which has caused opposing teams to turn the ball over. Every team this season has had double-digit turnovers against WKU and four of those teams have had 20-plus, including 31 from Oklahoma.
Season tickets and single-game tickets for Lady Topper basketball games are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased online (here) or by calling 1-800-5-BIGRED. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the WKU Ticket Office located in E.A. Diddle Arena.
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.
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