Game Info
WKU (14-4, 7-0 C-USA) vs. UAB (10-6, 3-2 C-USA)
Thursday, Jan. 27 | 6 p.m.
Birmingham, Ala. | Bartow Arena
Watch (CUSA.tv) | Listen (ESPN 102.7) | Live Stats
Game Notes
About the Lady Toppers
- WKU is off to a 7-0 start to C-USA for the first time since the 2015-16 season when the Lady Toppers won the first eight games of league play. WKU is riding a nine-game winning streak heading into Thursday's game which is tied for the seventh longest winning streak in the country. The Lady Toppers are one of eight teams to have played at least seven games in conference play and remain undefeated.
- Mya Meredith earned her fourth consecutive C-USA Freshman of the Week honor on Monday. The rookie is the first C-USA freshman to do win four straight since the 2010-11 season.
- The Lady Toppers pride themselves on defense and it's showing. WKU has 219 steals on the season, the 10th most in the nation, and their 12.2 steals per game is 12th in the NCAA. Both of those marks lead C-USA. WKU is also forcing 22.44 turnovers per game which is the 13th best rate in the country. The Lady Toppers are holding opponents to 26.1 percent from the perimeter which is 32nd nationally.
- The Lady Toppers have also held six straight teams below 70 points and have held 12 total teams this season below 70. WKU is 51-13 under head coach Greg Collins when keeping teams below 70 all-time and 11-1 this season when doing so.
- On the offensive side, WKU shares the ball at a high rate, notching 281 assists on the season which leads C-USA and is 42nd in the country. The Lady Toppers are the conference's highest scoring team, putting up 73.0 points per game. WKU is efficient on offense, leading the conference in field goal percentage (44.0%) and 3-point field goal percentage (34.5%).
- Meral Abdelgawad is the leading scorer in C-USA, averaging 20.1 points per game, good for the 21st highest rate in the nation. Her 362 total points scored on the season also leads the league and is 16th nationally. Her 49 steals lead the conference and is 18th among all NCAA players. She's shooting 53.8 percent from the field on the season, which is second overall in the conference and the top percentage for a C-USA guard.
- WKU has five true freshmen on the roster and the rookies have made an impact. The freshmen are scoring 53.7 percent of WKU's points through 18 games. Meredith is leading the way, averaging 13.5 points per game and Alexis Mead is behind her with a 10.3 points per game average.
- Meredith's 39 steals this season is the fourth most in C-USA and she's the top freshman scorer in the league. Mead has 65 assists on the season, the most of any freshman in the league and the fourth most overall.
- Abdelgawad is the lone senior and upperclassman for WKU. The Lady Toppers are the only team in Conference USA with only one upperclassman. All other teams have at least four.
- The 2021-22 season is the 60th for WKU women's basketball.
Series History vs. UAB
- WKU and UAB have played 25 times in series history. The Lady Toppers lead the series with a 19-6 record against the Blazers. WKU is 8-5 all-time against UAB in Birmingham.
- WKU and UAB didn't play in 2020-21 due to the C-USA schedule format that emphasized played divisional teams twice.
- The most recent meeting was Jan. 9, 2020 in Bowling Green. The only active players between the two teams that played in that game are Meral Abdelgawad and Margaret Whitley and Sara Rosenfeldt for UAB.
- The Lady Toppers earned a 69-65 victory in the latest matchup. Abdelgawad had 12 points and five rebounds in that game.
UAB Notes
- The Blazers three conference wins have come against UTEP, FIU and Florida Atlantic and their losses against UTSA and Louisiana Tech.
- UAB is top rebounding team in C-USA, pulling down 43.3 boards per game. The Blazers are the fourth highest scoring offense in the league, putting up 69.0 points per game, and has the fifth best scoring defense, holding teams to 59.9 points per game. The Blazers' defense is causing teams to shoot an average of 35.7 percent per game, leading the league.
- Zakyia Weathersby is C-USA's top rebounder, pulling down 11.8 boards per game. She's also UAB's top scorer, averaging 15.9 points per game.
Up Next
- WKU will stay on the road to take on Middle Tennessee on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Murfreesboro.
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.
