BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Hilltopper Basketball defeated Austin Peay, 65-64, on Saturday afternoon in E.A. Diddle Arena to secure a fifth consecutive victory. The win marks the 12th straight victory over the Governors and improves the Tops' record to 9-3 on the season.
Â
Don McHenry once again led the way for the Tops in the scoring column, charting 16 points along with six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Jalen Jackson played the role of floor general, dishing out six of the teams 14 assists while grabbing three rebounds, a steal and the game-sealing block as time expired.Â
Â
Rodney Howard led the team in steals with two, while charting 12 points and four rebounds. Brandon Newman tied McHenry for the game-high in rebounds with a total of six to go with seven points, one assist and a steal.
Â
The Hilltoppers struck first as Jackson found Babacar Faye for a slam two minutes into the game to break the scoreless tie. A pair of made free throws by Faye gave him the first four points of the game and the Hilltoppers a 4-3 lead going into the first media break.Â
Â
Tyrone Marshall Jr. found Khristian Lander on the right wing for the team's first three of the game. Enoch Kalambay connected on a three from the right corner to push the Tops into double figures and give WKU a 12-6 lead with just over 12 minutes to play in the half.Â
Â
After drawing contact and converting on a three-point play, the Tops first double-digit lead of the night, 20-10, came from the hot hand of McHenry who notched a three from the left wing.
Â
McHenry and Howard led the way for the Tops in the first half, each going for eight points. WKU charted a perfect 5-of-5 mark from the charity stripe in the first.
Â
Entering the second half, McHenry recorded the first points of the period with a 2-point lay-in. After the Governors cut the Tops' lead down to four, Jackson found Lander who connected from beyond the arc to bring the lead back out to seven with 16:15 left.
Â
Dontaie Allen drew contact driving to the basket and recorded his first two points of the day off a pair of made free throws to give the Tops a double-digit lead once again, 52-41. Following a defensive board from Faye, Marshall Jr. found Allen for a deep three with 10:02 to play in regulation.
Â
After a nearly five-minute stretch without a field goal, the Governors found the bottom of the net with 8:19 to play. The bucket sparked a 12-2 Austin Peay run which cut the Tops' lead to three with 5:46 remaining.Â
Â
Kalambay converted on a free throw to snap a scoreless drought for WKU and extend the Tops lead to 60-56. A triple for the Governors on the right wing tied the game at 61 apiece with 4:09 remaining.Â
Â
Out of the under four timeout, Marshall Jr. elevated over a defender for a slam to ignite the crowd and give WKU a 63-61 lead with 2:48 to play. McHenry went coast-to-coast and converted on a layup to give the Tops a four-point lead, 65-61, with 2:27 left in regulation.
Austin Peay cut the lead to one off a made three with 1:37 to play. After a WKU foul with six seconds remaining, Jackson recorded the game-saving block as the final horn blew and WKU defeated Austin Peay, 65-64.
Â
Saturday's game against Austin Peay saw WKU hold a lead through 35:26 total minutes of play. The Tops never trailed for the entirety of regulation.Â
Â
The win over Austin Peay marks 12 consecutive victories over the Govs dating back to 1999. WKU now holds a 44-14 all-time advantage facing the Governors in a series that dates back to 1941.Â
Â
WKU moves to 9-3 overall for the year.
Â
The Hilltoppers will return to road play next week and head out west to take on Cal Baptist on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Tipoff is slated for 9 p.m. CT with ESPN+ set to broadcast the event.
Â
Follow the team on social media (@wkubasketball) for the latest news and updates on all things Hilltopper Basketball. Visit wkusports.com for more information.Â
Â
Â
Western Kentucky University Athletics
- Champions Climb Here
- WKU Athletics
- Athletic Director
- Academic Services
- Annual Report
- Athletic Communications
- Athletic Hall of Fame
- Athletic Training
- CLIMB Program - NIL
- Compliance
- Facilities
- Financial Reports
- For Students
- Student Employment
- Forms/Requests
- Book Big Red
- Donation Requests
- Site Feedback
- For Fans
- Hilltopper Highlights
- Gameday Promotions
- Alumni Tailgates
- Big Red's Rascals
- Basketball Gameday
- Football Gameday
- Mobile Tickets
- Travel Center
- Tickets
- Give
