Career Nights From Several Lady Toppers Leads WKU to Victory

Friday, December 29

Bowling Green, Ky.

6:30 PM

Western Kentucky University

9-6,0-0CUSA

West Virginia State

5-6,3-3MEC

West Virginia St.

Western Ky.

Photo by: Steve Roberts/WKU Athletics

Career Nights From Several Lady Toppers Leads WKU to Victory

12/29/2023 10:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU women's basketball (9-6) defeated West Virginia State (5-6) on Friday night in E.A. Diddle Arena, 97-39. It was the largest margin of victory for WKU since a 64-point win against Alabama A&M on Nov. 11, 2016.

"I felt like our girls came focused and ready to play," said head coach Greg Collins. "We've been talking about how to improve our consistency. We've had great moments, but we've had stretches in ball games that knock us out of a chance to win. So, we really focused on trying to be more intentional, more purposeful and trying to do less on our own and more as a team."

Eleven different WKU players saw action in the game and all 11 scored with five in double figures. Eight different players reached or tied career highs in a statistical category in the game and nine players reached or tied season highs. The team recorded season highs in 10 different stats.

Destiny Salary led the way for WKU, scoring 25 points for a new career high in just her fourth game as a Lady Topper. She scored 21 of her points in the first half and then played just five minutes in the second half. Overall, she scored 25 points in 21:27 of playing time. She's the first WKU player to score 20 points in a half since Meral Abdelgawad scored 26 against Southern Miss on Dec. 30, 2021.

Three freshmen scored in double digits, all career highs. Nevaeh Foster had 14 points, Jailynn Brill had 13 and Mackenzie Chatfield had 10. Brill was 6-of-6 from the field. Odeth Betancourt was the fifth Lady Topper in double digits with 10 points.

Aaliyah Pitts led WKU on the boards with a career high 10 rebounds. Karris Allen notched a career high in boards with nine in less than eight minutes of play. Teresa Faustino recorded a career high with eight assists on the night.

WKU's 97 points were the most in regulation since scoring 98 against Southern Miss on Dec. 30, 2021). The team's 54 rebounds were the most since pulling down 59 boards against Florida Atlantic on Feb. 5, 2021. The Lady Toppers' 26 assists were the most since notching 28 against Kentucky State on Nov. 21, 2021.

Salary got the scoring underway with a three at the 9:19 mark. West Virginia State responded with a bucket on the other end, but the Lady Toppers came back with an 8-0 run to take a 11-2 lead. The Yellowjackets cut it to five with 5:17 left in the first quarter. The two teams went back and forth, but in the final four minutes WKU outscored West Virginia State 14-4 to take a 29-14 lead into the second quarter.

Allen started the second quarter with a layup and foul shot. West Virginia State scored on the next possession, but that was the last and only time the Yellowjackets would score in the quarter. The Lady Toppers went on a 25-0 run for the remainder of the period.

West Virginia State opened the third quarter with five straight points, but WKU responded with a 5-0 run of their own. The two teams traded baskets and then the Lady Toppers used a 7-0 run to push ahead by 45 with 3:24 left in the quarter. From there WKU outscored the Yellowjackets 8-4 through the rest of the quarter.

Scoring slowed down in the fourth quarter for the Lady Toppers with just 18 points in the frame. All 18 points were scored by non-starters for WKU with Foster leading the way with eight points in the quarter.

WKU will be back in action in the Conference USA opener at Liberty on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 1:00 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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 X, @LadyTopperHoops on Instagram and on Facebook at facebook.com/WKUWomensBasketball.