GAME INFO
- WKU (15-11, 8-7 CUSA) at Liberty (23-3, 15-0 CUSA)
- Saturday, Feb. 21 | 3:00 p.m. CT | Liberty Arena | Lynchburg, Va.
- Watch: ESPN+ (PxP: Matt Warner | Analyst: Paul Nazigian | Sideline: Emily Austen)
- Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Hal Schmitt)
- Live Stats:Â StatBroadcast
- Social: @WKUBasketball | @WKUSports
- Game Notes: WKU | Liberty
ABOUTÂ THEÂ TOPS
- WKU Hilltopper Basketball stormed back from a 16-point first-half deficit to stun Delaware 88-87 in overtime on Wednesday night inside the Bob Carpenter Center. Teagan Moore powered the rally with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while Ryan Myers delivered 22 off the bench, including three free throws to force overtime and the game-winning pair with 0.3 seconds remaining. LJ Hackman added 13 points, five assists and four steals, and Armelo Boone chipped in 11 as the Hilltoppers shot 47.4% from the field and 80.6% at the line to improve to 15-11 overall and 8-7 in Conference USA.
- Depth has been a major strength for WKU this season as the Hilltoppers are averaging 33.2 bench points per game to rank first in CUSA and top-20 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 10 of their last 12 outings, including each of the last six games.
- WKU is among the top rebounding teams in the country, ranking top-25 nationally with 40.0 rebounds per game and top-15 nationally with 13.9 offensive boards per outing. The Hilltoppers have topped 40 rebounds in 15 contests this season, including eight CUSA games. In league play, WKU paces CUSA with 38.6 rebounds and 14.3 offensive boards per game.
- WKU has been forced to navigate a challenging 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 year, while junior forward Louie Semona has been sidelined with a back injury following the Dec. 19 matchup with Tulsa. In the backcourt, 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, and redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore was injured in the final minute of the Liberty game on Jan. 21, missing five contests before returning last Saturday against Middle Tennessee. Freshman guard Armelo Boone injured his ankle in practice following the Liberty game, sat out two games against Sam Houston and Kennesaw State, then returned to play three consecutive games before re-aggravating the same ankle, which kept him out of the Middle Tennessee game on Feb. 14. Murdix, Moore and Boone are projected to play on Saturday at Liberty.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore has emerged as WKU's go-to offensive option, pacing the Hilltoppers with 18.2 points per game to go along with 5.8 rebounds. He has reached double figures in 18 of his 21 appearances this season, scoring at least 15 points 17 times and posting eight 20-point outings. The Dry Ridge, Kentucky, native is putting together an efficient all-around shooting campaign, converting 51.3% from the field, 37.5% from beyond the arc and 81.4% at the free throw line. Those numbers place him among the league's elite, ranking second in CUSA in scoring (18.2 ppg), third in field goal percentage (51.3%) and fifth in free throw percentage (81.4%). Since returning from a five-game absence due to a head injury, Moore has delivered back-to-back standout performances. He matched his career high with 28 points in WKU's 82-80 victory over long-time rival Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Feb. 14, going 6-of-10 from the field, 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and a career-best 13-of-15 at the foul line, including a perfect 2-of-2 trip to seal the win with three seconds remaining. On Wednesday at Delaware, he led the way with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting and an 8-of-9 mark at the free throw line, adding four rebounds in 34 minutes in WKU's 88-87 overtime win.
- Senior forward Grant Newell has provided a reliable scoring punch in his first season on The Hill, averaging 11.7 points and 4.3 rebounds across 26 games. He has scored in double figures 18 times and had a nine-game double figure scoring streak snapped against Delaware, tallying six points. Newell entered the week riding a hot stretch, totaling 43 points combined in the wins over FIU (23) and Middle Tennessee (20). During that span, he has been highly efficient, shooting 15-of-26 (57.7%) from the field and 9-of-15 (60.0%) from 3-point range.
- 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 while averaging 11.5 points, a team-best 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals. The Lexington, Kentucky, native has recorded three double-doubles this season — 16 points and 12 boards against Tulsa, 16 points and 13 rebounds at Sam Houston and 13 points and 13 rebounds against Liberty — to become the first WKU freshman with multiple double-doubles in a season since Charles Bassey in 2018-19.
- Graduate forward Blaise Keita has recently become a steady force in the paint for WKU, grabbing 52 rebounds over his last six games — the best six-game stretch of his Division I career. Against Middle Tennessee on Jan. 31, Keita dominated the boards with a career-high 14 rebounds while adding a season-high seven points, two steals and a block in a career-best 29 minutes, finishing with a game-high plus-20 plus-minus. Keita recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds in just 22 minutes for his second career double-double on Saturday, Feb. 7, against FIU. He shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-2 at the line, added a steal and finished with a team-best plus-15 plus-minus. It was his first double-double since Nov. 20, 2022, during his Nebraska tenure, when he had 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.Â
QUOTABLE
- "Obviously, an undefeated team in the league. We got our work cut out for us, but we'll try to rest up tomorrow, prepare on Friday and give our best effort to come out of here with a two-game winning road trip." — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on facing Liberty on Saturday.Â
SERIES INFORMATION
- Saturday's matchup will be the sixth all-time meeting between WKU and Liberty. The programs have met twice a year since becoming Conference USA opponents in 2023-24.
- Liberty owns a 3-2 lead in the series after a 76-69 win over WKU in Bowling Green earlier this season on Jan. 21.
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
- Liberty heads into Saturday's game at 23-3 overall and 15-0 in Conference USA, riding a 17-game winning streak. The Flames earned a 90-89 home overtime victory against FIU on Thursday, Feb. 19.
- Liberty is led by head coach Ritchie McKay, who is in his 13th season at the helm and 24th season as a head coach. He owns a 295-137 overall record with the Flames and a 460-295 career record as a head coach.Â
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.
