Game Info
WKU (17-9, 10-5 C-USA) vs. Middle Tennessee (20-6, 10-4 C-USA)
Saturday, Feb. 26 | 2 p.m.
Bowling Green, Ky. | E.A. Diddle Arena
Watch (ESPN+) | Listen (ESPN 102.7) | Live Stats
Game Notes
About the Lady Toppers
- WKU will be looking to bounce back after a pair of road losses last week.
- The Lady Toppers are fourth in the C-USA East Division standings with a 10-5 record in conference play.
- WKU has 286 steals on the season, the 16th most in the nation, and their 11.0 steals per game is 17th in the NCAA. Both of those marks lead C-USA. WKU is also forcing 20.31 turnovers per game which is the 20th best rate in the country.
- On the offensive side, WKU shares the ball at a high rate, notching 367 assists on the season which leads C-USA. The Lady Toppers are the conference's highest scoring team, putting up 70.9 points per game.
- WKU is efficient on offense, with the second leading 3-point field goal percentage in the conference (31.4%). The Lady Toppers have made 194 3-pointers this season, which is the third most in program history with three regular season games left.
- Meral Abdelgawad was named a semifinalist for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year presented by Her Hoops Stats earlier this week. She is C-USA's second leading scorer, averaging 19.7 points per game, good for the 21st highest rate in the nation. Her 513 total points scored on the season leads the league and is 20th nationally. Her 63 steals are second in the conference and is 39th among all NCAA players. She's shooting 53.6 percent from the field on the season, which is third overall in the conference and the top percentage for a C-USA guard.
- The Lady Toppers are a freshmen-heavy team with five true freshmen. The rookies are contributing 52.7 percent of the scoring offense and providing 46.1 percent of the team's rebounds.
Series History vs. Middle Tennessee
- Saturday's game will be the 80th meeting between WKU and Middle Tennessee all-time. The Lady Raiders own a 46-33 record in the series, but WKU has the advantage in Bowling Green, 23-15.
- The series between WKU and Middle Tennessee dates back to the 1924-25 season.
- The two teams met in Murfreesboro in January. WKU came back from an 18-point deficit to take a one-point lead late in the third quarter, but was unable to complete the comeback.
Middle Tennessee Notes
- Old Dominion is coming off a 65-57 win against Marshall on Thursday night in Huntington.
- The Lady Raiders are in second place in the C-USA East Division standings with a 12-3 record in league play.
- The Lady Raiders have four averaging double-digit points. Kseniya Malashka is Middle Tennessee's leading scorer, averaging 12.9 points per game. Courtney Whitson is putting up 12.3 points per game. Dor Saar is averaging 11.4 and Jalynn Gregory is scoring 10.2 points per game.
Up Next
- The Lady Toppers will close out the home portion of the schedule on Wednesday, March 2 against Marshall. It will be Senior Night for WKU's lone senior Meral Abdelgawad. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
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.
