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The Hilltoppers enter the game against the Bearkats standing at 11-8 overall with a 2-4 mark in Conference USA and coming off a 77-67 loss on the road at LA Tech on Thursday. Don McHenry led all scorers with 21 points along with a team-high four assists, three rebounds and a steal. Tyrone Marshall Jr. followed with 13 points off 5-for-11 shooting from the field while posting a tie with teammate Leeroy Odiahi for a game high in rebounds with eight total. Jalen Jackson tied a career-best for steals with a total of six, and Enoch Kalambay rounded out the Tops to score in double figures with 10 points.
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McHenry currently leads the Tops and charts as the sixth-leading scorer in CUSA with an average of 17.1 points per contest. The senior guard holds the third best free-throw mark in CUSA at .819% (68-of-83), while McHenry's 35 steals (1.8/G) are good for third most in the league.
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Sam Houston enters the game standing at 8-12 overall and 1-6 in CUSA play coming off a 77-75 loss hosting Middle Tennessee last time out. Senior guard Marcus Boykin led the Bearkats in the scoring column and in assists, charting 22 points off 7-for-13 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc with a total of eight assists. Senior forward Kalifa Sakho led the team in rebounding, posting a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double with a .500% (5-for-10) clip shooting from the field and a game-high two blocks.Â
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Lamar Wilkerson finished with 20 points off 7-for-16 shooting and a .500% (4-of-8) clip from range in the Bearkats' loss to MTSU on Thursday. The senior guard currently stands as the second-leading scorer in CUSA with 19.9 points per outing while holding the league's second-best three-point shooting percentage of .440% (70-of-159) off the most made threes in CUSA.
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GAME INFO
WKU (11-8, 2-4 CUSA) vs. Sam Houston (8-12, 1-6 CUSA)
Saturday, Jan. 25 | 2:30 p.m. CT
Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum | Huntsville, Texas
Watch:Â ESPN+
Listen: Hilltopper Sports Radio Network | 100.7-FM (WKLX)/Varsity Network (Hal Schmitt & Randy Lee)
Live Stats:Â StatBroadcast
Tickets: Purchase | WKUTickets.com | 1-800-5-BIG RED
Game Notes:Â Media Center
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ABOUT THE TOPS
- WKU currently averages 76.9 points per game
- WKU is currently fourth in the nation in adjusted tempo with an average of 73.3 possessions per 40 minutes
- WKU ranks ninth in the nation in defensive rebounding with 28.84 per contest
- The Tops rank 32nd in the nation in steals with 9.1 per contest and a total of 172 on the year
- WKU ranks 55th in the nation in FG% defense, limiting opponents to a .409% clip shooting from the field
- The Tops rank 122nd in the nation in fastbreak points with 11.37 per game
- Don McHenry leads the Hilltoppers and ranks sixth in CUSA for scoring with 17.1 points per contest; McHenry's 35 steals (1.8/G) are third most in CUSA and 75th most in the nation
- McHenry holds the conference's ninth-best FG% (min # attempts) at .394%
- McHenry touts the third-best free-throw percentage in CUSA with a .819% (68-of-83) mark from the stripe; the senior guard also holds a .300% clip from three-point range off the most made threes on the team (36-of-120)
- McHenry's 36 made three-pointers ranks tenth in CUSA
- Tyrone Marshall Jr. leads WKU and charts fourth in CUSA in defensive rebounding with 106 (5.6/G) on the year, good for 87th most in the nation; the graduate forward also leads the team and charts tenth in the league in total rebounds with 123 (6.5/G) on the year
- Marshall Jr. charts second on the team and 18th in CUSA in total blocks with 11 on the year
- Leeroy Odiahi leads WKU and ranks 15th in CUSA in total blocks with 14 on the year
- Jalen Jackson leads the team and ranks 17th in CUSA in assists with a total of 42 (2.2/G) on the year
- Jackson's 29 steals are good for tenth most in CUSA
SERIES INFORMATION
Saturday will mark the third-ever meeting between the programs with WKU holding an 0-2 all-time record facing Sam Houston. The Hilltoppers fell on the road in Huntsville, 78-74, on Jan. 10 last season in the Bearkats' first season competing in CUSA. The Tops followed the first-ever meeting with a narrow 79-77 loss hosting Sam Houston in a rematch at home on Feb. 1 in Diddle Arena. A win on Saturday would give WKU its first-ever victory over the Bearkats and earn the team a third win in conference play for 2024-25.
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SCOUTING THE BEARKATS
- Lamar Wilkerson currently stands as the second-leading scorer in CUSA with 19.9 points per outing while holding the league's second-best three-point shooting percentage of .440% (70-of-159) off the most made threes in CUSA
- Kalifa Sakho currently stands as the seventh-leading rebounder in CUSA with 6.7 boards per game and 134 total on the season; the senior big also ranks third in the league in offensive rebounding with 53 total
- Sakho has charted the seventh-most blocks in CUSA with 21 total on the season
- Brennen Burns dishes out the tenth-most assists in CUSA with 3.0 per game and 59 total on the season
- Cameron Huefner ranks tenth in CUSA in scoring with 14.3 points per gameÂ
- The Bearkats rank fourth in the league in scoring offense with an average of 77.7 points per contest, but stand at the bottom of the league in scoring defense, allowing opponents 77.3 points per contest
- Sam Houston touts the league's top team three-point shooting percentage at .394%, but allows opponents a .349% team three-point clip, the lowest-ranking mark in CUSA
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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