BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Hilltopper Basketball secured an 88-65 win in the 145th all-time meeting against historic rival Middle Tennessee in Diddle Arena on Saturday night. With the win, WKU now holds a 99-46 advantage in the series dating back to 1914.
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The series with MTSU serves as the third most-played series in Hilltopper Basketball history. The Tops boast a 56-17 overall record at home facing the Blue Raiders.
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Second-half play would prove to be the deciding factor in the game for WKU. The Hilltoppers scored 50 points in the half, connecting on 17-of-31 shots including a 60 percent clip from beyond the arc.Â
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WKU held the Blue Raiders to just 26.5% shooting from the field and 13.6% from three in the second period.
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Don McHenry led the way for the Hilltoppers in the scoring column with 22 points, 20 coming in the second half. Three other Hilltoppers charted double figures on Saturday night, including Rodney Howard with 16 points to go with five rebounds and a pair of assists.
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Dontaie Allen and Tyrone Marshall Jr. each managed three assists, going for six of the team's 14 total. Enoch Kalambay led the way on the boards, crashing seven.
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Babacar Faye recorded a block to start the game for the Hilltoppers. McHenry drove to the basket as Faye cleaned up a miss, charting the Tops' first points of the night and tying the game at two apiece with 18:37 in the half.Â
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WKU found its first lead of the night after Marshall Jr. recorded a steal and drove it to the basket for a slam to give the Tops an 11-9 lead with 13:21 to play in the first. The Blue Raiders coughed it up two more times, allowing WKU to take a four-point advantage, 13-9, seven minutes into the game.Â
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With nine minutes left in the half, a Dontaie Allen layup would put WKU over the 20-point mark, leading 21-17.
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After a response by MTSU gave the Blue Raiders the lead, Teagan Moore's pair from the charity stripe cut the deficit to one, 27-26, with just under five minutes until the break. Following another Blue Raider three, Howard found a cutting Moore for an easy two, now trailing 30-28.
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Allen faked a defender and took one through the lane, bringing the game back to within one with just under two minutes left in the first. The eighth MTSU three brought the margin back to four, but four unanswered points from Howard tied things at 38.Â
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A defensive stand from WKU sent the teams into the locker room tied up, 38-38.
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McHenry knocked down a triple to take the lead, 41-38, early in the second period. The junior guard then hit two more in transition giving the Tops a seven-point cushion and forcing the Blue Raiders into a timeout, WKU up 47-40.Â
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McHenry registered the Tops' next eight points, pushing the WKU lead to double digits, 55-44 with 14:45 to play. A pair from the stripe by Marshall Jr. gave WKU a 61-46 lead with just under 12 minutes left.Â
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Kalambay found Faye for a slam to give WKU a 67-51 lead with 9:53 to play. As the shot clock expired, McHenry buried a triple in front of the Hilltopper bench to give WKU a 72-53 lead with 7:44 left to play in regulation.
Allen later fed Marshall Jr. high above the rim for a jam, bringing the Diddle crowd to its feet and giving the Tops a 77-55 lead with just under five minutes to play. Howard found Marshall Jr. cross-court for a slam, putting an exclamation point on an offensive explosion in the second half.
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A three from fan-favorite Tyler Olden with just over a minute to play and a mid-range jumper from Jaylen Dorsey would cap off the 88-65 win over Middle Tennessee.
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The Hilltoppers improve to 15-7 overall and 4-4 in Conference USA play with the win.
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WKU hits the road for a matchup against CUSA leader Louisiana Tech on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Tipoff from Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La. is set for 6 p.m. CT with the game streaming live on ESPN+.
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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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