WKU (23-9) led for 28:34 of the game against the Blue Raiders (26-7), but were outscored 22-12 in the fourth quarter.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Alexis Mead opened up the scoring with a three from the wing for an early Lady Topper lead. The Blue Raiders responded with a bucket on the other end with WKU ahead 3-2 with 8:26 left in the first. Down 5-3, Salary connected on a triple from the left wing, taking the lead back. Holding the Blue Raiders scoreless for 2:40, the Lady Toppers were first to 10, taking a 10-7 lead, highlighted by Mackenzie Chatfield's feed to Josie Gilvin, into the media break with 3:25 left in the period. Out of the break, Chatfield got involved in the scoring with three points from the charity stripe, good for a six point lead. MTSU snapped the drought but Gilvin's second three of the game gave WKU a 16-9 lead. A quick 8-0 run by MTSU tied things up at 17-all with 33 seconds left in the quarter. The Blue Raiders held a 19-18 lead over WKU after the first 10 minutes.
The second frame opened with a Chatfield three and a 21-19 Lady Topper lead. Tied at 21, Telegdy logged a steal and rattled in a three from the left wing, taking the lead back, 24-21. Gilvin grabbed a rebound and connected with Mead who buried a three, got fouled, and converted the four-point play for a seven-point lead. As MTSU continued the scoreless drought, Salary extended the Lady Topper run to 9-0, forcing the Blue Raiders into a timeout, leading 30-21 with 5:16 left in the half.
MTSU answered out of the timeout with a 6-0 run to cut the lead to three. Salary's 2-for-2 trip to the line pushed the Lady Topper lead to five with 2:52 left until the break. MTSU tied things at 32-all in part because of a 2:08 scoring drought for WKU. Salary snapped it with a pair at the stripe to put WKU ahead 34-32 with 44 seconds left. Mariama Sow drained a triple from the top of the key to give WKU a 37-34 lead at the halftime break.
Gilvin's steal and score kicked off the scoring for the Lady Toppers in the third. The Blue Raiders made it a one-point game but with 6:49 left Salary found Mead in the corner for three to push the lead out to four. The Blue Raiders tied things at 43, but Gilvin answered back with a three of her own from the right corner to go up three. WKU held a one point, 46-45, lead at the media break with 1:50 left in the quarter.
After the timeout, Chatfield made a spin move to the basket to push the Lady Topper lead to three with 1:22 left in the third. The Blue Raiders cut it back to one but a bank-in three by Sow pushed WKU over 50 and the lead back to four. MTSU scored before the buzzer and the Lady Toppers took a 51-49 lead into the final period.
Gilvin started the fourth quarter with a steal and Chatfield fed Telegdy in the right corner for her second three of the game to give WKU a 54-49 lead. MTSU answered with a 5-0 run of their own to tie things up. Mead got the friendly roll on a layup to give the Lady Toppers a two-point advantage with 6:33 left. MTSU again evened things up at 56.
MTSU took a 59-56 lead on a three from the top of the key. Mead answered with a three of her own, evening things up yet again with 2:24 left. The Blue Raiders countered with a three to take the lead back. MTSU knocked down another three, taking their largest lead of the game of six with 35 seconds left. For the final 30 seconds of the game, WKU would pull within four but couldn't overcome the deficit, falling to MTSU 71-63.
NOTABLES
- Alexis Mead led WKU scorers with 19 points along with three rebounds. Mead moved into 23rd place on WKU's all-time scoring list with 1,385 career points. She also moved into a tie for the third most career starts by a Lady Topper with 125, tying Tiffany Porter-Talbert.
- Josie Gilvin secured her sixth double-double of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds to go along with three assists and three steals. It was a career high in rebounds for the junior.
- Destiny Salary added 10 points along with six rebounds and four assists.
- Mackenzie Chatfield also had 10 points and four assists.
- It was the 15th time this season WKU has had four players finish with double digit points.
- The Lady Toppers shot 35.2 percent (19-54) from the field in the game, the worst shooting percentage for WKU since shooting 35.1 percent against Oregon State on Dec. 19.
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.
