Lady Toppers Win Another Thriller

Saturday, January 28

Bowling Green, Ky.

2 PM

Western Kentucky University

-119,83 CUSA

Florida Atlantic

-119,47 CUSA

Fla. Atlantic

Western Ky.

1/28/2023 6:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Greg Collins Postgame Media Hope Sivori and Mya Meredith Postgame Media

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU women's basketball (11-9, 8-3 C-USA) held on to win another close game, this time against Florida Atlantic (11-9, 4-7 C-USA). The Lady Toppers were down six early in the fourth quarter, but closed out the game outscoring the Owls 16-9 to claim the 66-65 win.

WKU has won seven of the last eight games and after a 1-6 start to the season has won 10 of the last 14.

"I told them in the huddle after the game, 'winners just find a way'," said head coach Greg Collins. "We've had the absolute craziest box scores this season. I've never seen stuff like this. At halftime we had 43 field goal attempts and we're down three. You look at the field goal percentages and compare and then we got outrebounded by 18. We've had games where we've gotten 50 more field goal attempts and outrebounded somebody by 14 and sometimes it doesn't add up. Right now, we're just focused on, like the girls said, the next shot. Don't worry about the past, just worry about the next shot or the next play. Keep playing forward and don't play in the rearview mirror."

Hope Sivori led WKU in scoring for the third straight game with 16 points. Mya Meredith knocked down three 3-pointers to go for 15 points. She also had four rebounds and a season high four steals. Jaylin Foster added eight points, six rebounds, three steals and a season high two blocks. Alexis Mead led the team on the boards, pulling down seven rebounds and had a team-high four assists. Acacia Hayes had 10 points for the third time in the last four games.

WKU came into the game top 10 in the nation in steals per game and added to that reputation with 16 against the Owls. The Lady Toppers have notched double digit takeaways in nine straight games and in 16 of 20 total games this season.

The Lady Toppers are now 25-3 against Florida Atlantic all-time, including four straight wins and 16 wins in the last 17 games.

The game opened up with both teams trading baskets, but WKU midway through the first quarter rattled off a 12-0 run to take a double-digit lead. That lead vanished after Florida Atlantic responded with a 13-0 run of their own to end the quarter ahead by three. The second quarter was dead even with both teams scoring 13 points, giving the Owls a 3-point lead heading into halftime.

Hayes swished a three to start the second half and tie the game, but Florida Atlantic matched the three and went back ahead a little over a minute later. The Owls stayed in front until an 8-0 run from WKU. In that run, Meredith made her first three of the night and Mead knocked down a three and had a layup. The Lady Toppers went into the final quarter ahead 50-49.

The Owls came out with a 7-0 run to start the fourth quarter to take a 6-point lead with 8:13 left in the game. Sivori went on a tear and personally outscored the Owls 9-1 over the next two minutes of play to push WKU out the hole and ahead by two. Florida Atlantic scored the next four points to take a 61-59 lead. Down two, Meredith connected on her second three to put WKU back in front with 3:03 left. Foster came up with a steal on the next play and connected on 1-of-2 free throws after being fouled with 2:30 left.

At the 1:45 mark, Florida Atlantic hit a three from the corner to go back ahead by one. WKU came down on the next possession and Meredith hit her final three of the night to give WKU the permanent lead. The Owls had a chance to tie with a pair of free throws with 40 seconds left, but went 1-of-2 from the line and got the ball back with eight seconds left but the Lady Toppers came up with the defensive stop.

WKU will be back in action on Thursday at UTSA. The game is set for a 7 p.m. start time.

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.