BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU men's basketball fell to Liberty, 90-61, on Saturday afternoon in Diddle Arena. With the loss, WKU closes its regular season slate with a 17-14 overall record and an 8-10 mark in Conference USA league play.
Khristian Lander led the Hilltoppers in the scoring column with 18 points along with three assists and two steals. Don McHenry added 14 points, three rebounds and an assist in the effort. As a team, the Hilltoppers shot the ball at a .338 percent clip (23-for-68).
HOW IT HAPPENED
An offensive board followed by a spin move to the basket by Braxton Bayless opened up scoring one minute into the game. The Flames got on the board with a made triple at the 18:13 mark. A nearly 2:54 scoreless streak was snapped by a Jalen Jackson layup making it a 6-4 Liberty lead. A 6-0 run by the Flames was stopped by a McHenry three from the wing, cutting the margin to five. Liberty would score the next five straight, taking a 10-point lead and forcing WKU to take a timeout with 12:43 left in the half.
Liberty used a 16-3 run over the next 5:53 to take a 34-13 lead, forcing WKU into another timeout. Marshall Jr. later snapped WKU's 4:30 scoreless streak with a jumper in the lane with 3:23 left until the break. The Tops bowed up for a defensive stand and McHenry connected on a three to bring the count to 41-18 in favor of the Flames. McHenry followed that up with another three and a foul, connecting on the free throw and making it a 44-22 game with 58 seconds left in the half. The teams entered the break with Liberty ahead in the count, 49-22.
The Hilltoppers struck first out of the break with a Jackson triple. Jackson would then cut the deficit down to 20 with a layup through traffic with 16:20 left in regulation. Falling behind 20, Lander cut into the margin with a made triple, his first of the game. Lander notched 15 of his 18 total points in the second half. With 1:42 left in the game, Jaylen Dorsey connected on a three and Tyler Olden followed that up with a triple of his own with just over a minute left in the game. Lander hit on a second three to mark the final points of the contest, and WKU fell to Liberty, 90-61.
NOTABLES
- WKU utilized the starting lineup of Bayless, Keita, McHenry, Jackson and Marshall Jr. for the fifth time this season, marking the most consecutive games WKU has used the same starting five this season.
- Khristian Lander led the Hilltoppers with 18 points along with three assists and two steals. He connected on a team-best seven field goals in 28 minutes of action.
- Don McHenry charted 14 points along with three rebounds and an assist in 25 minutes of action.
- Tyrone Marshall Jr. led the Tops on the boards, securing nine rebounds, four of which came on the offensive end. He added four points and an assist in 25 minutes.
- The Hilltoppers are now 2-2 all-time against the Flames. WKU now holds a 1-1 mark against Liberty in Diddle Arena.
NEXT UP
WKU will travel to Huntsville, Ala. for the 2025 Conference USA Tournament, March 11-15. First and second round action will be streamed live on ESPN+ with the semifinals and championship games televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. Bracket seedings will be announced on Saturday evening.
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.
