Hilltoppers Fall on the Road at FIU

Saturday, January 4

Miami, Fla.

1 p.m.

Western Kentucky University

10-5,1-1CUSA

FIU

7-8,1-1CUSA

Western Ky.

FIU

1/4/2025 3:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Game Book (PDF)

MIAMI – WKU men's basketball fell short on the road at FIU, 85-66, on Saturday afternoon in Ocean Bank Convocation Center. With the loss to the Panthers, the Hilltoppers move to 10-5 overall for the season with a 1-1 mark in CUSA league play.

Freshman guard Julius Thedford led the Tops' scoring effort for the second straight game with 18 points off 7-for-12 shooting from the field. Thedford and Tyrone Marshall Jr. each charted a team-high four rebounds, and Jalen Jackson led the team in assists with four while charting a game-high six steals.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Thedford opened scoring for the Tops with a made free throw at the 18:51 mark of the first half. FIU responded with an 11-0 run as WKU went scoreless for over two minutes. Thedford broke the scoreless streak with a driving layup to bring the count to 11-3 with 16:23 left in the first. Khristian Lander connected on a floater to cut the margin further, but the Panthers responded with another 9-0 run to take a 15-point lead, 20-5, with 13:30 remaining until the half.

FIU expanded its lead over the Tops with a pair of made free throws, and WKU trailed FIU by 17, 26-9, with 9:55 to play in the first half. A driving layup by Enoch Kalambay and a made three-pointer by McHenry cut into the FIU lead and brought the Tops to within 12, but the Panthers effective shooting from the field and from the stripe continued as the Hilltoppers fell behind by 19, 35-16, with 5:46 to play in the first.

A made three-pointer by the Panthers pushed the Tops' deficit to 24, 49-25, with two minutes to go before halftime. Lander and Marshall each accounted for two-point buckets, but another three by FIU made it a 23-point, 52-29 game entering the half.

Braxton Bayless charted the first points of the second half with a made hook shot in the paint. FIU continued its strong shooting performance, taking a 27-point lead at the 16:48 mark of the second. FIU maintained the 20+ point cushion for the majority of the second half. WKU managed to cut the Panther lead down to 18 off an 8-0 run ending at the 2:23 mark of the second, but the late push would not be enough as the Hilltoppers fell to the Panthers, 85-66.

NOTABLES

WKU utilized the starting lineup of Bayless, McHenry, Thedford, Odiahi and Kalambay for the first time this season. The group is now 0-1 on the year.
Thedford posted a game-high 18 points, leading the Tops in scoring for the second straight game. The freshman also notched a team-best four rebounds, two steals, one assist and a block.
McHenry finished with 12 points, three assists, three steals, a pair of rebounds and two blocks
McHenry and Jackson each charted a game-high two blocks
FIU finished with a .500% (11-of-22) shooting clip from beyond the arc while limiting the Tops to a .182% (4-of-22) clip
WKU charted .386% shooting from the field to FIU's .466%
The Tops led for just seven seconds of the game to the Panthers' 38:51
The loss moves the Tops' all-time record facing the Panthers to 40-13 with a 15-9 record on the road in Miami

NEXT UP
WKU returns home and continues conference play hosting Jax State on Thursday, Jan. 9. Tipoff from E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky. is slated for 7 p.m. CT with ESPN+ set to broadcast the event live.

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.