RIVERSIDE, Calif. – WKU Hilltopper Basketball secured its sixth consecutive win by defeating California Baptist, 73-70, on Tuesday night in CBU Events Center. The Hilltoppers improve to 10-3 on the season with the win over the Lancers.
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The 10-3 start to the season matches the best 13-game start for the Hilltoppers since the 2004-05 season.
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Dontaie Allen led the Tops in scoring with 17 points to go with four rebounds, one assist, one block and a steal. Don McHenry led in assists with four while totaling 14 points and three rebounds.Â
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Brandon Newman led the team in rebounds with a total of 12 while charting seven points, three assists and a block.Â
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Tuesday's matchup with Cal Baptist saw a fast start for the Hilltoppers, as the team jumped out to a 19-7 lead at the 12:53 mark in the first half following an emphatic slam by Enoch Kalambay off a fast break from a turnover. A pair of made threes by Allen pushed the WKU lead to 15, 29-14, at the under-eight media timeout.Â
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WKU continued its offensive success throughout the first period, leading by as many as 20 points on two separate occasions. A strong dunk by Allen in the face of a defender gave the team its second 20-point lead at the 6:11 mark, igniting the Hilltopper bench and adding to the team's growing momentum.Â
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WKU entered the half up, 42-28.Â
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The second half saw the Hilltoppers maintain a double-digit lead for the first nine minutes of play. Tyrone Marshall Jr. led the Tops in the scoring column in the second, scoring seven of his nine total points.
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The Lancers battled back and slowly cut away at the Hilltopper lead, eventually cutting the Cal Baptist deficit to five, 73-68, with just over a minute remaining in regulation. A two-point layup by CBU brought the count to 73-70 with 54 seconds to play.Â
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The Tops bowed up on defense for the final seconds of regulation, forcing the Lancers into one last three-point attempt with five seconds on the clock. The attempt was no good, and WKU edged out the victory over Cal Baptist, 73-70, to earn its 10th win of the year.Â
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Tuesday's outing saw the Hilltoppers lead through 37:26 minutes of play and never fall behind in the count. WKU limited CBU to a 17.4% mark from three-point range, and the Hilltopper bench accounted for 30 points to the Lancers' two.Â
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The Hilltoppers will return home and close out non-conference competition hosting Abilene Christian on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. CT. ESPN+ will broadcast the event live from E.A. Diddle Arena.
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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
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