GAME INFO
- Kennesaw State (11-6, 3-3 CUSA) at WKU (10-6, 4-2 CUSA)
- Saturday, Jan. 17 | 2:00 p.m. CT | E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.
- Watch: ESPN+ (PxP: Lucas Panzica | Analyst: Craig McCormick)
- Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Hal Schmitt)
- Live Stats: Sidearm | StatBroadcast
- Social: @WKUBasketball | @WKUSports
- Game Notes: WKU | Kennesaw State
AT THE GAME
- Purchase tickets to Saturday's game against Kennesaw State HERE.
- Hilltopper fans can be a student for a game with the chance to sit in the student section for just $10 for today's game. Purchase student section tickets for WKU vs. Kennesaw State HERE.
- 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.
- Saturday's game is our Kids Bash and Camper Reunion — get ready for a day of family fun! Enjoy an expanded kids zone, face painting, inflatables and photos with Big Red. Also, don't miss the excitement of the halftime baby race!
- Calling all summer 2025 WKU Men's Basketball campers! All campers will receive free admission with discounted tickets for all camper parents. To purchase tickets, please call the ticket office at 1-800-5-BIGRED or come the box office the day of the game.
- 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.
- 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.
ABOUT THE TOPS
- WKU Hilltopper Basketball earned an 87-72 win over Missouri State on Wednesday night inside E.A. Diddle Arena. After overcoming an early run from the Bears, the Hilltoppers seized control with a 17-6 first-half surge and never looked back, leading by as many as 19 in the second half. Teagan Moore paced WKU with 20 points, including a perfect 8-for-8 mark at the line, while Grant Newell scored all 14 of his points before halftime. Armelo Boone and LJ Hackman each added 11 as the Tops shot over 50% from the field and 82% at the stripe. WKU dominated across the stat sheet, holding advantages in points off turnovers, paint scoring, second-chance points, fast-break points, bench points and rebounds to improve to 16-11 overall, 8-1 at home and 4-2 in Conference USA.
- Through 17 games, WKU has established itself as one of the nation's premier free throw teams, ranking 10th nationally with 20.0 made free throws per game and 11th in the country with 27.0 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 14 of 17 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.
- WKU is among the top rebounding teams in the country, ranking 17th nationally with 42.0 rebounds per game and eighth nationally with 14.7 offensive boards per outing. The Hilltoppers have topped 40 rebounds in 12 of 17 contests this season, including five of six Conference USA games. Through six league games, WKU paces CUSA with 42.0 total rebounds and 17.2 offensive rebounds per game.
- Depth has been a major strength for WKU this season, with the Hilltoppers averaging 34.2 bench points per game to tie for 22nd nationally and rank 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. The Hilltoppers have posted over 30 bench points in three consecutive outings, totaling 34 at New Mexico State, 37 at UTEP and 33 against Missouri State.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore has been a driving force behind WKU's 11-6 start, leading the Hilltoppers with 17.6 points and adding 5.9 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in 15 of 17 contests, reaching 15 or more points in 14 of those games. Moore has produced six outings of 20 points or more, including last Wednesday night when he led WKU with 20 points in the win over Missouri State, going 6-of-9 from the field while shooting a perfect 8-of-8 at the line. He scored sixteen of his 20 points in the second half while chipping in five rebounds and two steals. 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 eight-game stretch, averaging 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 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 17 games, he is averaging 12.0 points, a team-best 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
- After sitting out for over a month due to injury, graduate guard Terrion Murdix made his return to the court last week, coming off the bench against New Mexico State. Murdix has stuffed the stat sheet since his return, averaging 7.7 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. WKU has outscored its opponents by 18 with Murdix on the floor since his return.
QUOTABLE
- "Coach Pettway was at Alabama, and I don't know if you guys know, Alabama shoots a ton of 3s and plays very quick, very NBA-style, very quick offense, high-possession game. I think they won 89-86 tonight. So, they had one of their typical games and we know that they can put up points in a hurry. Definitely happy that some guys got some offensive confidence. I would think it could only help us for Saturday." — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on Saturday's game against Kennesaw State.
SERIES INFORMATION
- Saturday's matchup will be just the fifth all-time meeting between WKU and Kennesaw State, and the third between the programs as Conference USA opponents.
- WKU owns a 3-1 edge in the series. The teams split two meetings last year with each team winning on its home floor. The Hilltoppers won the first meeting 85-69 in Bowling Green and the Owls took the second meeting 76-69 in Kennesaw, Georgia.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
- Kennesaw State heads into Saturday's game at 11-6 overall and 3-3 in Conference USA play, coming off an 89-86 home win over FIU on Jan. 14. The Owls are 3-0 at home and 0-3 on the road in conference play.
- Kennesaw State is led by head coach Antoine Pettway, who is in his third season at the helm. He holds a 44-35 career record with the Owls.
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.
