LOUISVILLE, Ky. — WKU women's basketball grinded out a 64-55 win on the road at Bellarmine on Thursday night. The Lady Toppers improve to 5-3 on the season and have won four straight games.
Alexis Mead led all scorers in the game with 18 to go along with a career high eight rebounds, four steals and two assists. Mya Meredith put up 17 points and Meral Abdelgawad and Hope Sivori each added 11. Abdelgawad stuffed the stat sheet with seven rebounds, five steals and five assists.
WKU improves to 20-4 under head coach Greg Collins when holding an opponent below 60 points and 44-13 when holding a team below 70.
The Lady Toppers forced Bellarmine into 26 turnovers. It was the fourth time this season WKU has forced an opponent into 25-or-more miscues. The Lady Toppers also recorded 16 steals in the game. It was the third time this season WKU has had 15-or-more takeaways in a game and the Lady Toppers improve to 3-0 when doing so.
Abdelgawad was the first to score in the game, getting a layup after a defensive rebound on the other end of the floor. Midway through the quarter the Lady Toppers went on a 12-0 run to push its lead out to 19-4. The Knights hit a three just before the end of the quarter to get back within 12 before the second period.
Bellarmine expanded on that three with another three and a layup for an 8-0 run to cut the lead to seven. WKU responded with a 10-0 run, but then went cold and surrendered a 19-0 run to the Knights that propelled Bellarmine to a 31-27 lead. A Sivori layup at the 36 second mark was the first points for WKU since a Mead three at the 6:03 point. The Knights closed out the quarter with a pair of free throws to take a 33-29 lead into halftime.
WKU scored nine straight points to open the third quarter and used a 13-2 run to retake the lead, 42-35. Overall the Lady Toppers outscored Bellarmine 19-12 in the third period to take a 48-45 lead into the final quarter.
The Knights scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to go ahead by one. WKU tied it up, but a layup from Bellarmine put the Knights back ahead by two. The Lady Toppers responded with an 8-0 run, sparked by a layup from Sivori and then six straight points from Mead. From there, WKU outscored Bellarmine 7-4 to clinch the win.
All of WKU's scoring in the fourth quarter came from Mead, Sivori and Meredith. Mead put up seven in the period, Meredith had five and Sivori scored four.
WKU had seven blocks in the game which is the most for a Lady Topper team since Dec. 8, 2018 when they had nine against Bellarmine.
The Lady Toppers will be back in action on Sunday, Dec. 5 against Tennessee Tech in E.A. Diddle Arena at 2 p.m. It will be the last non-conference home game of the season.
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.
Med Center Health
Med Center Health has served Southcentral Kentucky for more than 90 years, and its system of care includes six acute care hospitals, a comprehensive network of physician practices and clinics, and hundreds of area physicians offering care in dozens of specialties. From emergency treatment to preventative care, Med Center Health is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the communities it serves. Learn more at medcenterhealth.org.
Western Kentucky University Athletics
- Champions Climb Here
- WKU Athletics
- Athletic Director
- Academic Services
- Annual Report
- Athletic Communications
- Athletic Hall of Fame
- Athletic Training
- Big Red
- CLIMB Program - NIL
- Compliance
- Facilities
- Financial Reports
- For Students
- Student Employment
- Forms/Requests
- Book Big Red
- Donation Requests
- Site Feedback
- For Fans
- Hilltopper Highlights
- Gameday Promotions
- Alumni Tailgates
- Big Red's Rascals
- Basketball Gameday
- Football Gameday
- Mobile Tickets
- Travel Center
- Tickets
- Give