RUSTON, La. – WKU Hilltopper Basketball fell to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in overtime 85-74 on Thursday night. The two teams only outscored each other by two in either half, but Louisiana Tech used a second wind to shut WKU out of overtime.
The Hilltoppers started cold while the Bulldogs started hot. Louisiana Tech jumped out to a seven-point lead on WKU early.
As WKU warmed up, the Tops knocked down seven of their eight shots in a stretch that included five 3's. In that same stretch, the Hilltoppers went on a 9-0 run between 7:20 and 4:26 to take a 29-25 lead.
Louisiana Tech regained the edge with a few 3-pointers and dunks, but WKU scored the final four points of the half, including a shot just beyond the arc from Jordan Rawls at the buzzer to give the Tops a 37-35 lead at the break.
After starting the first half 3-of-12 from the field, the Hilltoppers closed the half going 11-of-16.
WKU used that late first half momentum to swing into the second half. After LA Tech scored the first bucket, the Hilltoppers rattled off 12 straight, taking a 49-37 lead with just over 16 minutes on the clock.
It was then that the Bulldogs started to chip away at WKU's lead. Louisiana Tech swung a 57-47 Hilltopper lead at 13:34 into a 70-61 Bulldog lead by 5:27. It was a 23-4 run that spanned just over eight minutes.
The Hilltoppers felt the urgency and was able to hold Louisiana Tech to just two field goals in the final five minutes of the game, outscoring the Bulldogs 13-4 to force overtime.
In the extra period, WKU went 0 for 7 and LA Tech went 5 for 7, scoring all 11 points in overtime, securing the victory.
Jamarion Sharp logged the sixth double-double of his career and second of the season with 11 boards and 15 points. He also blocked four shots and added an assist and steal to his stat sheet.
Dayvion McKnight hit 1,000 career points as he scored 12 on the night with eight assists against just three turnovers.
Five Bulldogs were in double figure scoring with Cobe Williams leading the charge. He had 20 points on 7 of 15 shooting.
WKU returns home for Saturday's game against the Charlotte 49ers. The game will tip at 6 p.m. CT and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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