Lady Toppers Win Late Game Thriller Against UTEP

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU women's basketball (13-7, 4-1 CUSA) trailed UTEP (6-11, 1-3 CUSA) for over 32 minutes, but the Lady Toppers hung around and made a surge at the end of the game to earn a 66-65 win against the Miners on Saturday afternoon in E.A. Diddle Arena.

"The defensive intensity… Alexis Mead made big plays and drew a charge, Aaliyah Pitts made a huge deflection that caused an over and back, Teresa Faustino made that huge deflection at the end and they didn't even get a shot off, just a lot of them made big plays on defense, which is what we want to take pride in," said head coach Greg Collins.

Destiny Salary led the team with 25 points, tying her career high. She scored the final six points of the game, including the game-winning layup. Acacia Hayes poured in 19 points in the game, her 14th double digit game of the year. Alexis Mead filled out the stat sheet with eight points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Aaliyah Pitts led the Lady Toppers on the boards with seven rebounds.

It was WKU's eight come-from-behind win of the season and it was sixth time the Lady Toppers have won after being down at halftime. WKU has won five of their last six games and seven of their last nine games after today's victory.

After exchanging points to open the game, WKU used a 7-0 run, featuring threes from Teresa Faustino and Hayes, to take a 3-point lead. The Miners responded with a 6-0 run of their own to reverse that lead. From there, the two teams went back and forth and UTEP took a 18-15 lead into the second quarter.

A pair of free throws from Hayes to start the second quarter cut that UTEP lead down to one, but the Miners followed with four straight points. That lead hovered around three, until UTEP went on a 6-0 run to extend it to nine with 2:32 left in the quarter. WKU connected on a few baskets before halftime, but the Miners took a 33-25 lead into the break.

WKU opened the second half on a 11-0 run, fueled by three 3-pointers from Salary. The run put the Lady Toppers back ahead for the first time since the 5:02 mark of the first quarter. The lead didn't last long though because the Miners went on an 8-0 run of their own to go back ahead by five. A three from Pitts cut it to two, but UTEP came right back with a bucket. Another WKU three, this time from Mead, cut it to one, but the Miners followed with five straight points. Hayes made WKU's sixth 3-pointer of the third quarter with 1:03 left to get the Lady Toppers back within three, but UTEP scored the final basket of the frame to take a 50-45 lead into the final quarter.

The two teams exchanged baskets to open the fourth quarter. At the 6:56 mark UTEP took an 8-point lead on a free throw. The Lady Toppers used a 7-0 run, capped by a three from Hayes, to get back within one. After a pair of free throws from UTEP, WKU scored four straight on free throws to retake the lead, 62-61. The Miners went back ahead by one with a jumper, but Salary got a layup to go with 1:47 left to give WKU the lead. Once again, UTEP got a jumper to go to take a 65-64 lead with 21 seconds left. After a timeout, Salary took it to the hoop and made a reverse layup to give WKU a 66-65 lead with eight seconds left. Out of timeouts, the Miners got the ball down the court but Faustino snuffed out the play and held on to the ball to end the game.

WKU will be back in action at FIU on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. (CT). The Panthers are 4-0 in CUSA play this season.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Teresa Faustino

Acacia Hayes

Alexis Mead

Aaliyah Pitts

Destiny Salary