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McHenry's 29-point performance in Saturday's win over the Panthers ties a season high for the Milwaukee native and is one-point shy of the Hilltopper guard's career high of 30 points. McHenry also collected a team-best four steals with three rebounds, a pair of blocks and an assist to help the Tops improve to 9-3 on the season with an 8-1 record at home.
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Braxton Bayless finished with a season-high 18 points off 7-for-10 shooting from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 shooting clip from range while adding five rebounds, three assists and a steal. Tyrone Marshall Jr. notched a team-high in rebounds with seven and finished with 13 points, and freshman Julius Thedford rounded out the Tops to reach double figures scoring with 17 points and six rebounds. Jalen Jackson led the Tops in assists with a total of five.
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With the win, the Hilltoppers have now posted victories in nine of the team's last 10 outings.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Kentucky Wesleyan opened scoring with a pair of threes before McHenry notched the first points of the day for WKU with a made floater, drawing the foul and converting at the stripe for the conventional three-pointer. WKU then lodged its second steal of the game and McHenry was fouled on a three-point attempt, hitting all three at the line and giving the Tops a 7-6 lead with 17:30 left in the first.Â
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Bayless followed that up with a made three and a layup and McHenry reached double figures by securing the next two baskets for WKU to give the Tops a 16-15 lead with 14:05 to play in the first.
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The Panthers answered by taking a 19-16 lead, forcing WKU into a timeout with 13:13 left in the half.
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Out of the break, Jack Edelen secured his own miss and drove to the rack for two making it a one-point game. Thedford got in on the scoring effort with a triple from the right corner to even the count at 21-all. Out of a KWC timeout, the Panthers connected on a fourth three before Thedford answered on the other end for the freshman's second triple of the day.
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The Tops took the lead back with a made floater by Thedford, but the Panthers responded with yet another three to regain a 27-26 lead. Leeroy Odiahi had the next four points for WKU to tie the game at 30-all. After a back and forth, Jackson fed Bayless in front of the KWC bench for a three to give WKU a 33-32 lead with 7:35 until the break.Â
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Out of a timeout, both teams connected on threes with Thedford getting his third of the day. Enoch Kalambay then grabbed a steal and Thedford fed him for yet another triple. The three-point barrage continued with Marshall getting in on the action for his first points of the day to give WKU a 42-37 lead with 5:01 to play in the half.Â
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The Panthers again cut the lead to one, but Bayless took one through traffic and connected, giving the Tops a 44-41 advantage with 2:46 left in the first. Bayless then grabbed an offensive board and powered through defenders for the two, pushing the lead back out to five. WKU would maintain the five-point margin and enter the break leading KWC, 46-41.
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Marshall Jr. recorded the first points of the second half for WKU. McHenry then grabbed a steal, and Marshall Jr. was fouled on the other end, connecting on both shots at the line to push the Hilltopper lead to 50-43 two minutes into the half. Bayless then connected from beyond the arc to give the Tops a 55-48 lead three minutes into the half.
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WKU held KWC scoreless for nearly four minutes beginning at the 14:06 mark of the second. During that stretch, the Tops scored eight straight and forced the Panthers into three turnovers to take a double-digit lead for the first time, 67-55, with 10 minutes remaining in regulation.Â
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Out of a KWC timeout, WKU forced another turnover as Edelen grabbed his second of the game. McHenry later notched a steal and took it for a transition two to put the Tops up a dozen. KWC scored the next four points, forcing WKU into a timeout with 7:52 left in the game, leading 69-61.Â
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WKU surpassed 70 with a pair of Thedford made free throws. WKU took its largest lead of the game with a McHenry triple to give the Tops a 13-point, 76-63 lead with 5:39 left in the game. McHenry later crossed a defender and pulled up from beyond the arc, drawing the foul and draining another three to put the Hilltoppers up by 16 with less than five minutes to play in the game. The made-three pushed McHenry over 20 points for the third straight game.Â
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With under four minutes left in regulation, Bayless fed Odiahi above the rim for the jam to give WKU an 83-68 lead. Out of the final media break, the Tops forced the Panthers into the team's 18th turnover, cashing in on another McHenry long ball and putting WKU ahead by 17, 88-71, with 2:40 remaining. Kalambay grabbed a defensive board and found McHenry who connected on a fourth three of the game to extend the Tops' lead to 20, 91-71.
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In the final minute, Tyler Olden grabbed the Tops' 14th steal of the game. WKU would dribble out the final seconds and secure the 91-71 win over Kentucky Wesleyan.
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NOTABLES
- WKU utilized the starting lineup of Bayless, McHenry, Thedford, Kalambay and Marshall Jr. for the second consecutive game. The group is now 2-0 on the year.
- With the win, WKU has now won its sixth straight and improves to 9-3 overall with a 7-1 mark at home in Diddle Arena.
- McHenry matched his season high in points in Saturday's win, charting 29 and hitting 10-for-20 from the field. This marks the third-straight game the senior has managed 28 or more points.
- Bayless followed suit, notching a season-high 18 points and stuffing the stat sheet with five rebounds, three assists and a steal.
- WKU capitalized on 28 points off turnovers compared to KWC's two points. The Tops also notched 11 points off fast breaks while holding the Panthers scoreless in the category.
- Thedford got his second career start for WKU in Saturday's win. The freshman managed 17 points with six rebounds, two assists and a block.
- As a team, the Hilltoppers shot the ball at a .493% clip from the field and .419% from beyond the arc
- WKU has now posted four games this season with 12 or more made threes. Last season the team did so only twice.
- The Tops limited the Panthers to just three attempts at the free throw stripe for a 2-of-3 mark from the line.
QUOTABLE
On senior guard Don McHenry:
"Don is a special player," head coach Hank Plona said. "The things Don does well are things I can't teach. Shooting and scoring are part of it, but he has a mental strength, a mental toughness and a confidence about him that exists because of who he is as a young man. He deserves to have all the success he's having. He works every single day, takes care of his mind, takes care of his body, prepares and watches film – he's confident in his shot and play-making ability because he practices it and works so hard."
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NEXT UP
WKU will have a break in action before wrapping non-conference play on the road at Michigan on Sunday, Dec. 29. Tipoff from Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. is slated for 7 p.m. CT with the game set to be nationally televised live on the Big Ten Network.
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Follow the team on social media (@wkubasketball) and visit wkusports.com for the latest news and updates on all things Hilltopper Basketball as the team continues its 2024-25 campaign.
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