HOW IT HAPPENED
- Tyrone Marshall Jr. connected on a baseline three four minutes into the game off a pass from newcomer Braxton Bayless.
- Trailing 15-10, a quick 5-0 burst evened the score at 15-all. Bayless lodged a steal and found Marshall Jr. for the layup with 9:46 left in the first period,
- Tied at 17, Marshall Jr. grabbed a rebound and found Jalen Jackson who dished to Babacar Faye for the jam. The Tops maintained the lead heading into the under-eight timeout, 21-20.
- With a minute left in the period, down 38-31, Don McHenry buried a three from the right corner, assisted by Enoch Kalambay.
- The Hilltoppers went into the locker room trailing the Blazers, 38-34. McHenry led the Tops with 11 points shooting off 4-for-5 from the field. McHenry also charted a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc in the first.
- Khristian Lander made his way to the rack three minutes into the second period, bringing the count to 44-36.
- The Blazers used a 12-0 run to create separation and jump ahead by 16, 66-50, with 9:04 left in the game.
- The Tops used a 6-0 run over a minute stretch to cut into the Blazer lead, trailing 80-69 with 2:26 left to play.
- McHenry hit a pair of free throws with 56 seconds left to cut the deficit to single digits, trailing 82-73.
- With 34 seconds left, Jack Edelen worked his way to the basket, cutting the deficit again, this time to eight, 84-76.
- McHenry hit three free throws in what would be the final points of the day for the Hilltoppers, falling 88-79 to UAB.
NOTABLES
- Faye led the Hilltoppers with 20 points off 8-for-11 shooting from the field. Faye added eight rebounds and a pair of steals for the game.
- McHenry added 16 points of his own to go along with a team-best four assists.
- Niagara transfer Braxton Bayless also managed four assists in addition to three rebounds.
- Jack Edelen managed three of the team's eight total steals in just eight minutes of game time.
- The Hilltoppers had 18 assists compared to 12 turnovers for 1.5 assist to turnover ratio. Eight Hilltoppers managed at least one assist while four dished out two or more.
QUOTABLE
"Not the result we were hoping for – obviously better for this to happen in game zero, in a game that does not count, that'll help prepare us for the regular season," head coach Hank Plona said. "Definitely some things we can take to the drawing board and look at the film and make sure we improve on before Wichita State here in eight days."
NEXT UP
WKU will officially tip off the Plona era with its home opener against Wichita State on Monday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. Pregame for the home opener will serve as a CUSA Championship celebration in Diddle with special edition championship towels and posters for fans.
For information on tickets for the 2024-25 season, visit wkusports.com/tickets or call the WKU Ticket Office at 1-800-5-BIGRED. Follow the team on social media (@wkubasketball) and visit wkusports.com for the latest news and updates on all things Hilltopper Basketball.
