GAME INFO
- WKU (7-4, 0-0 CUSA) at Jax State (5-6, 0-0 CUSA)
- Monday, Dec. 29 | 6:00 p.m. CT | Pete Mathews Coliseum | Jacksonville, Ala.
- Watch: ESPN+ (PxP: Eli Gold | Analyst: Mickey Shadrix)
- Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Hal Schmitt)
- Live Stats: StatBroadcast
- Social: @WKUBasketball | @WKUSports
- Game Notes: WKU | Jax State
ABOUT THE TOPS
- WKU Hilltopper Basketball fell to 7-4 with an 82-81 loss to Tulsa on Friday, Dec. 19, inside E.A. Diddle Arena. The Hilltoppers led for more than 33 minutes and saw a career night from Grant Newell, who poured in 28 points and hit six 3-pointers, but a last-second Tulsa triple handed WKU a heartbreaking defeat. Armelo Boone posted his first career double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Teagan Moore added 15 points, nine boards and six assists. WKU shot 41.4% from deep, outrebounded Tulsa 39-33 and held edges in nearly every statistical category despite the one-point loss to close nonconference play.
- Through the first 11 games, WKU has established itself as one of the nation's premier free throw teams, ranking seventh nationally with 21.1 made free throws per game and ninth nationally with 28.4 attempts. The Hilltoppers have earned at least 21 attempts in every contest, including three games with 30 or more against Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State and Vanderbilt, plus a season-high 41 attempts versus Bethel (Tenn.). They've converted at least 17 free throws in 10 of 11 outings, highlighted by a season-best 31 makes against Bethel — their most in a game since knocking down 36 against Tennessee State on Dec. 1, 2018.
- Depth has been a major strength early in the season, as WKU averages 37.6 bench points per game to rank 12th nationally and first in Conference USA. The Hilltopper reserves have provided a consistent scoring punch, surpassing 40 bench points five times, including 56 against Bethel, 54 against Evansville and 46 in each of the Tennessee Tech and Campbellsville games.
- Freshman guard Armelo Boone earned his fourth Conference USA Freshman of the Week honor of the season this past week. Boone delivered another impressive week, averaging 17.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 50.0% (14-of-28) from the field and 85.7% (6-of-7) at the free throw line in two games off the bench. He opened the week with 18 points on a career-best 9-of-13 shooting, adding what was then a career-high eight rebounds and two steals in just 21 minutes of action. Boone followed that performance with the first double-double of his career, recording 16 points and a career-best 12 rebounds in 31 minutes against Tulsa, along with two steals and a block. Through 11 games this season, he's averaging 12.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 42.6% from the field and 75.0% from the line.
- Graduate guard Ryan Myers has become one of WKU's most reliable scoring options over the past three weeks. Over the last six games, he's averaging 14.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.3 minutes per contest while shooting 45.8% from the field (27-of-59) and an impressive 59.5% from 3-point range (22-of-37). That marks a major leap from his first five outings, when he averaged 4.8 points on 24.0% shooting and 16.7% from beyond the arc in 17.8 minutes per game. Myers delivered a breakout performance against Evansville with 27 points off the bench — one shy of his career high — matching his career best with seven made 3-pointers while going 9-of-16 from the field in a season-high 31 minutes. After earning his first start of the year against Campbellsville and scoring a game-high 19 points in a 102-59 win, he followed that with nine points, four assists and three steals in 31 minutes against Tulsa.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore has been a major catalyst in WKU's 7-4 start, averaging a team-best 17.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in 10 of 11 games and posted a career-high 27 points against South Florida on day two of Battle 4 Atlantis. The Dry Ridge, Kentucky, native ranks sixth in points per game in Conference USA after missing all of last season due to injury. He earned CUSA All-Freshman Team honors in 2023-24.
- Senior forward Grant Newell delivered a strong bounce-back week after totaling just 10 points over two games against Evansville and Marshall. In matchups with Campbellsville and Tulsa, the Chicago native averaged 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 42.9% (9-of-21) from the field and 88.2% (15-of-17) at the free throw line. Newell opened the week with 12 points against Campbellsville, going a perfect 9-for-9 from the line to set new career highs in both free throws made and percentage, while also adding six rebounds and a block. He followed that effort with a career-best 28 points against Tulsa, shooting 8-of-15 from the floor — including a career-high six 3-pointers on eight attempts — and converting 6-of-8 free throws. Newell also grabbed a season-high nine rebounds and logged a career-best 34 minutes. His 28-point outing stands as the highest single-game scoring performance by a Hilltopper this season.
QUOTABLE
- "We've obviously got to get better and continue to learn how to win close games as a team. We're certainly at the point now as we enter league play where we got to figure out how to win these if we want to have a special season." — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on heading into conference play.
SERIES INFORMATION
- Monday will mark the eighth meeting all-time between WKU and Jax State and the fifth meeting as Conference USA opponents.
- The Hilltoppers lead the all-time series 5-2, winning the first five matchups. The Gamecocks earned two wins against WKU last season.
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
- Jax State enters Monday's game with a 5-6 overall record after an 81-75 win at East Tennessee State on Saturday, Dec. 20, in Johnson City, Tennessee.
- The Gamecocks are led by head coach Ray Harper, who is in his 10th season at the helm and 27th season as a head coach. He owns a 510-241 career record, including a 174-131 mark at Jax State.
How to follow WKU Hilltopper Basketball: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Basketball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @WKUBasketball on Instagram and X.
