GAME INFO
- WKU (11-9, 4-5 CUSA) at Kennesaw State (12-8, 4-5 CUSA)
- Wednesday, Jan. 28 | 6:00 p.m. CT | KSU Convocation Center | Kennesaw, Ga.
- Watch: ESPN+ (PxP: Nolan Alexander | Analyst: Brandon Johnson)
- Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Hal Schmitt)
- Live Stats: StatBroadcast
- Social: @WKUBasketball | @WKUSports
- Game Notes: WKU | Kennesaw State
ABOUT THE TOPS
- WKU Hilltopper Basketball dropped a 73-58 decision at Sam Houston on Saturday inside Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum, playing shorthanded without leading scorers Teagan Moore and Armelo Boone due to injury. After falling behind 38-21 at halftime and facing a 20-point deficit early in the second half, the Hilltoppers used an 8-0 run to trim the margin but were unable to overcome their early offensive struggles and turnovers. LJ Hackman led WKU with 14 points, including three 3-pointers, while Leeroy Odiahi added a career-high 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting and Grant Newell chipped in 10 points and six rebounds.
- WKU is among the top rebounding teams in the country, ranking 20th nationally with 41.3 rebounds per game and ninth nationally with 14.3 offensive boards per outing. The Hilltoppers have topped 40 rebounds in 13 of 20 contests this season, including six of nine CUSA games. Through nine league games, WKU paces CUSA with 40.4 rebounds and 15.4 offensive rebounds per game.
- Through 20 games, WKU has established itself as one of the nation's premier free throw teams, ranking 23rd nationally with 25.8 attempts at the line per game and 25th nationally with 18.9 made free throws per game. The Hilltoppers have earned at least 21 attempts in 18 0f 20 games, 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 20 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 32.5 bench points per game to rank first in CUSA and 26th nationally. 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 four of their last six outings, totaling 34 at New Mexico State, 37 at UTEP, 33 against Missouri State and 32 against Kennesaw State.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore has been a driving force behind WKU's 11-9 start, leading the Hilltoppers with 17.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in 16 of 19 games played, reaching at least 15 points in 15 of those outings and producing six 20-point performances. Most recently, Moore paced WKU with 19 points against Liberty, going 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Moore missed last Saturday's game at Sam Houston due to a head injury.
- Freshman guard Armelo Boone has emerged as one of the league's top newcomers, tying for 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 10-game stretch, averaging 12.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest. In that span, he has recorded double-doubles against Tulsa (16 points, 12 boards), Sam Houston (16 points, 13 boards) and Liberty (13 points, 13 boards), becoming the first WKU freshman with multiple double-doubles in a season since Charles Bassey in 2018-19. Through 19 games played, he is averaging 11.8 points, a team-best 6.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals. Like Moore, he was sidelined for the Sam Houston matchup due to injury.
- WKU has been forced to navigate a difficult stretch of injuries to key contributors this season, reshaping its rotation in both the frontcourt and backcourt. Graduate forward Bryant Selebangue suffered a torn Achilles against Marshall on Dec. 10 and is out for the season, while junior forward Louie Semona has been sidelined with a back injury since the Dec. 19 game against Tulsa. Graduate guard Terrion Murdix missed eight games after sustaining a knee injury on Nov. 27 against South Florida before returning to action on Jan. 8 at New Mexico State. On the perimeter, redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore was injured in the final minute of the Liberty game on Jan. 21 and subsequently missed the Sam Houston contest on Jan. 24. Moore is not expected to play at Kennesaw State on Jan. 28. Freshman guard Armelo Boone injured his ankle in practice following the Liberty game, sat out at Sam Houston and could potentially return on Wednesday at Kennesaw State.
QUOTABLE
- "It's been a little bit crazy over here with the weather and obviously a tough week for us. It felt like we were right there in the Liberty game and I thought we didn't play perfect but made some steps in the right direction there. Teagan Moore had an injury at the end of that game. Had a pretty good practice the next day. Armelo Boone tweaked his ankle at the very end of that. So, two consecutive days were obviously some unfortunate injury issues for our team and a very tough road trip to Sam Houston. So, trying to gather ourselves, get back together and got the second half of the league coming up here. Two more road games this week and we'll try to bounce back, get together and kind of get back to our basics and try to make sure we go represent ourselves well on Wednesday and try to get a win." — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on Wednesday's game at Kennesaw State.
SERIES INFORMATION
- Wednesday's matchup will be just the sixth all-time meeting between WKU and Kennesaw State, and the fourth between the programs as Conference USA opponents.
- WKU owns a 3-2 edge in the series. The Hilltoppers won the first three meetings, dating back to the 2006 season, while the Owls have won the last two, including an 81-65 victory over WKU earlier this month in Bowling Green.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
- Kennesaw State heads into Saturday's game at 12-8 overall and 4-5 in Conference USA play, coming off back-to-back road losses. The Owls fell 93-87 at Sam Houston on Jan. 21 and 82-76 at Louisiana Tech on Jan. 23.
- Kennesaw State is led by head coach Antoine Pettway, who is in his third season at the helm. He holds a 45-37 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.
