Khristian Lander finished with 13 points off 5-for-11 from the field with a team-high six rebounds, one assist and a steal. Tyrone Marshall Jr. led the team with three steals and two blocks. With the loss, WKU falls to 14-9 overall with a 5-5 mark in Conference USA.
HOW IT HAPPENED
KSU won the opening tip and connected on a jumper 15 seconds in to the game to take an early lead, 2-0. A drawn foul and a made pair at the stripe by Enoch Kalambay knotted the count at 2-2, a minute into play. The Owls followed with a 14-0 scoring run as the Tops went scoreless for over four minutes and fell behind, 16-2, with 14:53 to play in the half.
A three by Marshall Jr. ended the Tops' scoreless run, and following a two-point bucket by KSU, a three by Lander cut the Owl lead to 10, 18-8, with 13:30 to play until the break. Both teams went scoreless for over two minutes before KSU stretched its lead back out to 14, 22-8, with 11:05 to play in the first. A Jalen Jackson three cut the Tops' deficit to eight before the Owls pushed it back out to double digits moments later.
Trailing by 15, 31-16, at the 7:05 mark of the first, the Hilltoppers found a rhythm offensively while holding the Owls in check on defense and outscored KSU, 9-0, for the remainder of the half. A pair of made free-throws by McHenry cut the margin to just six, and the teams entered halftime with WKU trailing, 31-25.
Entering the second half, a free throw by McHenry and a made bucket by Lander narrowed the margin to three, 31-28, a minute into play. The Tops stalled on offense again as KSU extended its lead back out to 14 with 14:14 remaining in regulation. After battling back, a Lander three brought the count to 48-42 with 11:40 to play in the second.
The Tops were unable to limit KSU scoring, as the Owls once again pushed the margin back into double digits. Braxton Bayless connected on a three to cut it to nine, 67-58, but another KSU scoring run gave the Owls a 16-point lead, 74-58, with 1:19 to play in regulation. The Tops mounted a final push to narrow the Owl lead to seven, 74-67, with another 9-0 run in the final minute of regulation, but ultimately were unable to match KSU in the count and fell to KSU, 76-69.
NOTABLES
- WKU used the starting lineup of Blaise Keita, Jackson, Lander, Kalambay and Marshall Jr. for the fourth consecutive game. The group is now 3-1.
- Don McHenry tied a career high in scoring on Thursday with 30 points off 9-for-18 shooting from the field with a team-high six boards and two steals. The senior guard has now posted double figures in seven consecutive games and 27+ points five times this season.
- WKU failed to gain a lead for the entirely of the game despite holding the Owls to a pair of scoreless streaks at the end of each half, including a 9-0 run in the final seven minutes of the first half and a another 9-0 run in the final minute of regulation.
- Despite even numbers statistically, the Tops struggled shooting from the field, finishing with a .349% clip to KSU's .446%
- KSU charted 11 fast-break points compared to the Tops' six. WKU managed a total of 24 points off turnovers while limiting the Owls to just six.
- Thursday's loss marks the first-ever facing Kennesaw State. WKU moves to 3-1 all-time in meetings against the Owls.
NEXT UP
Hilltopper Basketball continues its road swing in a matchup facing Jacksonville State on Saturday, Feb. 8. Tipoff from Pete Mathews Coliseum in Jacksonville, Ala. is slated for 4 p.m. CT with the game streaming live on ESPN+.
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.
