Lady Toppers Come Back to Win OT Thriller Against Middle Tennessee

Saturday, February 26

Bowling Green, Ky.

2 PM

Western Kentucky University

-189,115 CUSA

Middle Tennessee

-206,124 CUSA

OT 1

Middle Tenn.

Western Ky.

Photo by: Wyatt Richardson/WKU Athletics

Lady Toppers Come Back to Win OT Thriller Against Middle Tennessee

2/26/2022 7:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Down 16 with 8:19 left in the game, it looked liked WKU women's basketball was out of it, but to anyone who has watched the Lady Toppers this season – they knew the squad could come back. WKU rallied back to take a lead with seven seconds left in the game and ultimately won, 97-93, in overtime.

"They don't quit," said head coach Greg Collins. "They keep playing. We always talk about, if you're going to make a mistake, make an aggressive mistake…I wasn't worried at halftime. We just had to get back on the same page and do what we were trying to do. That was the difference between this game and the last two. We all got on the same page together and we all played hard together. It doesn't guarantee that you're going to win, but it guarantees a chance to get back in the game."

The Lady Toppers improve to 18-9 on the season and 11-5 in Conference USA. Middle Tennessee drops to 20-7 and 10-5 in league play.

Meral Abdelgawad continued her impressive season, recording her fifth double-double of the season with 27 points and 16 rebounds on 9-of-10 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 from three-point range. The senior also had five assists. It was her 14th 20-point game of the season. She scored 13 of her points in the fourth and overtime periods.

Jaylin Foster exploded for a career high 27 points, including four 3-pointers, to go along with four rebounds, three steals and two assists. The freshman has scored in double figures in four of her last six games.

Alexis Mead had 17 points along with five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Macey Blevins added 12 points along four assists and two rebounds. Hope Sivori also had 12 points with two assists and two rebounds and was 4-of-5 from the perimeter.

WKU was 14-of-28 from beyond the arc as a team. That ties the school record for most made threes in a game, previously reached against North Carolina A&T on Nov. 12 this season and on Nov. 11, 2017 against Iowa.

Middle Tennessee had their best quarter of the game in the first, outscoring WKU 32-19. The Lady Raiders shot 6-of-8 from beyond the arc in the quarter while, the Lady Toppers were 3-of-4 from the perimeter. Both teams cooled off percentage wise in the second quarter, but Middle Tennessee still connected on four 3-pointers to take a 50-36 lead into halftime.

WKU turned up the defensive intensity in the third, holding the Lady Raiders to 11 points on 22.2 percent shooting from the field.

Middle Tennessee scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to take a 16-point lead with 8:19 left in the game. The Lady Toppers launched a barrage of 3-pointers coming from Blevins (1), Foster (3), and Sivori (2) to get WKU back in the game. Foster was fouled on another 3-point shot and made all three free throws to cut the Middle Tennessee lead to six. After a Lady Raider layup, WKU used a 10-0 run to take a 2-point lead. That run was started by a Mead jumper and finished by eight straight points from Abdelgawad. With four seconds left, Middle Tennessee tied the game up and a shot by Foster at the buzzer rattled out to force overtime.

The Lady Toppers were 6-of-8 from three in the fourth quarter and 10-of-12 from the field in the frame.

Abdelgawad scored the first points of the overtime period, but Middle Tennessee quickly drew even. After going back-and-forth again, a three from Sivori sparked a 7-0 run by the Lady Toppers. Middle Tennessee hit another 3-pointer to draw within four, but one made free throw from Abdelgawad followed by an offensive foul committed by the Lady Raiders and then a drive and score from Mead with 11 seconds left sealed the win.

It was the fourth time this season WKU has won a game after trailing with five minutes left. The Lady Toppers led for just 3:36 of the game.

WKU will be back in action on Wednesday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. against Marshall. It will be Senior Night for the lone WKU senior Abdelgawad.

How to Follow the Lady Toppers: For complete information on Lady Topper Hoops, 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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