GAME INFO
- Missouri State (10-6, 4-1 CUSA) at WKU (10-6, 3-2 CUSA)
- Wednesday, Jan. 14 | 6:30 p.m. CT | E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.
- Watch:Â ESPN+Â (PxP: Tyler Eaton | Analyst: Craig McCormick)
- Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Hal Schmitt)
- Live Stats: Sidearm | StatBroadcast
- Social: @WKUBasketball | @WKUSports
- Game Notes:Â WKUÂ |Â Missouri State
AT THE GAME
- Purchase tickets to Wednesday's game against Missouri State HERE.
- Hilltopper fans can be a student for a game with the chance to sit in the student section for just $10 for each of the next two home games. Purchase student section tickets for WKU vs. Missouri State HERE. Purchase student section tickets for WKU vs. Kennesaw State HERE.Â
- The ticket booths at E.A. Diddle Arena will be open prior to doors opening. Doors will open 90 minutes prior to tipoff for the public.
- Wednesday's game is Coaches vs. Cancer and Sneakerhead Night — Join us as we unite to raise awareness and stand together in the fight against cancer. Show out in your best kicks and enter our custom Nike Shoe giveaway as style meets Hilltopper Basketball.
- Schedule cards, posters and roster cards will be available at the marketing table near the entrance while supplies last.
- WKU Athletics offers a kids' corner in Diddle Arena, an area for kids to enjoy. This area includes bean bag tic-tac-toe, inflatable axe throwing and more. The kids' corner is located on the upstairs concourse by the concessions stand.
- After the game, stick around for postgame fist bumps from the WKU Hilltopper Basketball team and listen to the live postgame interview with Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona.Â
- The full 2025-26 WKU Hilltopper Basketball promotional schedule can be found HERE.
- Want to make your gameday special? Check out our Hilltopper Highlights premium fan experiences for basketball season, including videoboard messages, Big Red visits, fan tunnels and more! Check out our Hilltopper Highlights HERE. Purchase WKU Hilltopper Basketball experiences HERE.
- For the full WKU Basketball Gameday Information page, click HERE.
- For the full WKU Basketball Winter Sports Yearbook, click HERE.
- For the full WKU Hilltopper Basketball Gameday Guide, click HERE.Â
ABOUTÂ THEÂ TOPS
- An all-around team effort powered WKU Hilltopper Basketball to a 68-56 road win at UTEP on Saturday afternoon inside the Don Haskins Center. The Hilltoppers and Miners traded blows for much of the night before WKU took control down the stretch, closing on a decisive 17-5 run to secure the 12-point victory. Teagan Moore sparked WKU off the bench with 19 points, seven rebounds and three steals, while Armelo Boone dominated the glass with nine points and a career-high 14 boards. The Hilltoppers owned advantages in points off turnovers, paint scoring, second-chance points, fast-break points, bench points and rebounds on the way to their 14th win in 16 all-time meetings with UTEP.
- WKU has emerged as one of the premier rebounding teams in the country, ranking 13th nationally with 42.5 rebounds per game and fifth with 14.9 offensive boards per outing. The Hilltoppers have topped 40 rebounds in 12 of 16 contests this season, including all five Conference USA games. Through five league games, WKU paces CUSA with 43.6 total rebounds and 18.4 offensive rebounds per game.
- Through 16 games, WKU has established itself as one of the nation's premier free throw teams, tying for 15th nationally with 19.8 made free throws per game and tying for 14th in the country with 26.9 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 against Bethel (Tenn.). They've converted at least 17 free throws in 13 of 16 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 for WKU this season, with the Hilltoppers averaging 34.3 bench points per game to rank 22nd nationally and first in CUSA. The WKU reserves have delivered a consistent scoring spark, topping 40 bench points five times, highlighted by 56 against Bethel, 54 against Evansville and 46 in both the Tennessee Tech and Campbellsville contests. On the recent road swing, the Hilltopper bench combined for 71 points — 34 at New Mexico State and 37 at UTEP.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore has been a driving force behind WKU's 10-6 start, leading the Hilltoppers with 17.4 points and adding 5.9 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in 14 of 16 contests, reaching 15 or more points in 13 of those games. Moore delivered a breakout performance in WKU's CUSA-opening win over Sam Houston, pouring in a career-high 28 points and hitting a personal-best three 3-pointers. He finished that night 9-of-18 from the field and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc — matching career highs in both makes and attempts — while going 7-of-10 at the line and adding six rebounds, three assists and a steal in 35 minutes for his fifth 20-point effort of the season. The Dry Ridge, Kentucky, native currently ranks sixth in CUSA in scoring after missing all of last season due to injury.
- Freshman guard Armelo Boone has emerged as one of the league's top newcomers, earning a conference-best four CUSA Freshman of the Week honors this season. After totaling just eight points across games against Evansville and Marshall, Boone has responded with a strong seven-game stretch, averaging 13.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals. In that span, he has recorded double-doubles against Tulsa (16 points, 12 boards) and Sam Houston (16 points, 13 boards), becoming the first WKU freshman with multiple double-doubles in a season since Charles Bassey in 2018-19. Boone also hauled in a career-high 14 rebounds in last Saturday's win at UTEP. Through 16 games, he is averaging 12.1 points, a team-best 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals.
- Graduate guard Terrion Murdix made his return to the court last week, coming off the bench against New Mexico State and starting against UTEP. In two games, he totaled 14 points, six assists, six steals, six rebounds and just two turnovers in 39 minutes of action. WKU outscored its opponents by 10 when Murdix was on the floor.Â
QUOTABLE
- "Good to be back at home this week. Obviously, a little bit of a mixed bag on our road trip, but certainly happy to be able to get the win at UTEP. Probably from where we started the New Mexico State game, everything was kind of a process to kind of position ourselves. We dug ourselves a hole and that was a challenge, but I thought from the last 30 minutes or so of that game, Friday into Saturday, I thought we had a good approach, which led to a good road win at UTEP. Obviously, sitting here in in a decent spot with a couple home games here in a row. We have a team that's off to a great start in Missouri State coming in here tomorrow night. They've gotten better and better as the season goes on and we certainly have our work cut out for us. So, we'll work yesterday, today and tomorrow on getting ready for that and hopefully we can get a win in front of our home crowd." — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on Wednesday's game against Missouri State.
SERIES INFORMATION
- Wednesday's matchup will be just the third all-time meeting between WKU and Missouri State, and the first between the programs as Conference USA opponents.
- Missouri State owns a 2-0 edge in the series after back-to-back wins over the Hilltoppers in 2017 and 2018, taking an 85-80 decision in Bowling Green on Nov. 10, 2017, before an 84-78 victory on Dec. 5, 2018, in Springfield, Missouri.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
- Missouri State comes into Wednesday's game at 10-6 overall and 4-1 in Conference USA play, coming off a 79-71 home win over FIU on Jan. 10. The Bears' lone conference loss so far was a 90-80 road loss at Kennesaw State.
- Missouri State is led by head coach Cuonzo Martin, now in his fifth season overall and the second year of his second stint with the program, following head coaching stops at Tennessee, California and Missouri. He holds an 80-70 record at Missouri State and a 283-227 mark over 16 seasons as a head coach.
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.
