The Lady Toppers (11-5, 2-2 CUSA) took an early lead and held off several Kennesaw State (5-9, 0-3 CUSA) spurts to earn the road victory.
WKU battled Mother Nature on the trip, having to adjust to winter weather in the South. The Lady Toppers traveled to Kennesaw on Thursday night after playing at Jacksonville State, getting ahead of the winter storm. On Friday, WKU was snowed in at the hotel, unable to practice and the Lady Toppers were unable to take a shootaround before the game on Saturday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
WKU scored first on a jumper from Alexis Mead. The Owls tied the score, but a three from Destiny Salary and then a bucket from Zsofia Telegdy helped WKU build a 7-2 lead. After a Kennesaw State basket, the Lady Toppers went on a 6-0 run to go ahead, 13-4. A three from the Owls broke the run and the teams traded baskets the rest of the way with WKU take a 17-10 lead into the second quarter.
Kennesaw State scored the first four points of the second quarter to cut WKU's lead down to three. The Lady Toppers responded with five straight points. The two teams went back and forth, but a 5-0 run from the Owls cut WKU's lead down to two with 2:17 left in the quarter, but the Lady Toppers finished the quarter on a 6-0 run of their own to take a 34-26 lead into halftime. Four of those six points for WKU came from Salma Khedr who had just entered the game for the first time.
WKU used a 10-2 run midway through the third quarter to take its first double digit lead of the game, going ahead by 13 with 4:26 left in the quarter. The Lady Toppers were able to stretch their lead to 16 behind a 5-0 run late in the quarter, but Kennesaw State connected on a three with just 13 seconds left to bring it back to 13 going into the fourth quarter.
Caleigh Rose West scored her first points of the game to open the fourth quarter, but Kennesaw State rattled off a 7-0 run to get back within eight. Salary stopped the run with a basket and a foul shot. The Owls scored five straight to cut it to six, but WKU scored five right back. Kennesaw State was able to cut it to six two more times, but WKU made 7-of-8 from the free throw line to close out the game.
NOTABLES
- For the seventh time this season, WKU had four players score in double figures.
- Destiny Salary finished with 16 points to go along with a season high six assists and four rebounds.
- Zsofia Telegdy recorded her first career double double with 12 points and 12 rebounds to go with three assists.
- Alexis Mead had 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. She moved into fifth place on WKU's all-time steals list (219) and moved into 30th place on WKU's all-time scoring list (1,170). '
- Acacia Hayes added 13 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
- WKU was only the third team this season to score 70-plus points against Kennesaw State and the first CUSA team to do so.
- The Lady Toppers improve to 8-1 this season and 91-25 under Greg Collins when holding a team below 70 points.
NEXT UP
The Lady Toppers will return home to host Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. in E.A. Diddle Arena.
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.
