GAME INFO
- New Mexico State (13-13, 6-10 CUSA) at WKU (16-11, 9-7 CUSA)
- Thursday, Feb. 26 | 6:30 p.m. CT | E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.
- Watch: ESPN+ (PxP: Tyler Eaton | Analyst: Jay Walton)
- Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Hal Schmitt)
- Live Stats: Sidearm | StatBroadcast
- Social: @WKUBasketball | @WKUSports
- Game Notes: WKU | New Mexico State
AT THE GAME
- Purchase tickets to Thursday's game against New Mexico 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.
- Thursday is Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night. Join us in celebrating the faculty and staff members that ensure WKU students succeed.Â
- Schedule cards, posters and roster cards will be available at the marketing table near the entrance while supplies last. WKU Football New Orleans Bowl Champion posters will also be available 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 Digital Gameday Guide, click HERE.Â
ABOUTÂ THEÂ TOPS
- WKU Hilltopper Basketball stunned Conference USA-leading Liberty with a dominant 94-73 road victory on Saturday night inside Liberty Arena, snapping the Flames' 17-game winning streak and handing them their first league loss of the season. Powered by hot shooting and a balanced attack, the Hilltoppers shot 52.5% from the field, 47.6% from 3-point range and nearly 96% at the line while placing five players in double figures. Teagan Moore and Grant Newell led the way with 21 points apiece, LJ Hackman added 17, Ryan Myers chipped in 12 off the bench and Terrion Murdix scored 10.
- Depth has been a major strength for WKU this season as the Hilltoppers are averaging 32.7 bench points per game to rank first in CUSA and top-15 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 13 outings, including six of the last seven games.
- WKU is among the top rebounding teams in the country, ranking top-15 nationally with 13.7 offensive boards per game and top-30 nationally with 39.8 total rebounds per outing. The Hilltoppers have topped 40 rebounds in 15 contests this season, including eight CUSA games. In league play, WKU paces CUSA with 38.3 rebounds and 14.0 offensive boards per game.
- Through 27 games, WKU has established itself as one of the nation's premier free throw teams, ranking 17th nationally with 19.1 makes on 24.9 attempts per game. The Hilltoppers have earned at least 21 attempts in 23 of 27 contests, including three games with 30 or more against Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State and Vanderbilt, plus a season-high 41 attempts against Bethel (Tenn.). WKU's free throw percentage has skyrocketed over the last three games as the Hilltoppers have shot 87.2% (75-of-86) at the line, highlighted by a season-best 95.7% (22-of-23) effort against league-leading Liberty last Saturday.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore has emerged as WKU's go-to offensive option, pacing the Hilltoppers with 18.3 points per game to go along with 5.7 rebounds. He has reached double figures in 19 of his 22 appearances this season, scoring at least 15 points 18 times and posting nine 20-point outings. The Dry Ridge, Kentucky, native is putting together an efficient all-around shooting campaign, converting 51.5% from the field, 40.7% from beyond the arc and 81.6% at the free throw line. Those numbers place him among the league's elite, ranking second in CUSA in scoring (18.3 ppg), third in field goal percentage (51.3%) and seventh in free throw percentage (81.6%). Since returning from a five-game absence due to a head injury, Moore has delivered three straight standout performances. In WKU's 82-80 victory over long-time rival Middle Tennessee, he matched his career high with 28 points, 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. He was named CUSA Player of the Week after leading WKU to road wins at Delaware and Liberty. He scored 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting and 8-of-9 at the line with four rebounds in an 88-87 overtime win at Delaware, then recorded 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 3-of-3 from long distance and 6-of-7 at the line with four rebounds in a 94-73 victory that snapped Liberty's 17-game winning streak and marked their first CUSA loss since March 2, 2025.
- Senior forward Grant Newell has provided a reliable scoring punch in his first season on The Hill, averaging a career-high 12.1 points and 4.4 rebounds across 27 games. He has scored in double figures 19 times, highlighted by four outings with 20 points or more. The Chicago, Illinois, native has been playing his best basketball of the year during WKU's four-game winning streak, averaging 17.5 points and 5.3 rebounds over that span. He scored 23 points against FIU, 20 against Middle Tennessee and 21 at Liberty, helping the Hilltoppers extend their winning streak. He's been highly efficient during the streak, shooting 51.0% (25-of-49) from the field, 45.4% (10-of-22) from 3-point range and 83.3% (10-of-12) from the free throw line.
- 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 11.3 points, a team-best 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 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 guard Terrion Murdix has made a strong impact in his first season back on the floor, averaging 6.6 points, a team-high 3.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds and a CUSA-leading 2.0 steals after missing the last two years with leg injuries. He ranks seventh nationally in steal percentage (5.0%) and leads Conference USA in the category at 5.3%, while also pacing the league in steals per game and averaging a CUSA-best 2.2 steals in conference play. Murdix has recorded at least one steal in 18 of 19 games, including 11 outings with multiple steals, and is averaging 7.0 points, 6.5 assists and 2.8 steals during WKU's current four-game winning streak.
- Graduate forward Blaise Keita has recently become a steady force in the paint for WKU, grabbing 58 rebounds over his last seven games — the best 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, a pretty successful road trip for us. In my almost three years in this league, I certainly have a great appreciation for how hard it is to go on the road and win two games on the same trip, no matter what those games look like. Obviously, the Delaware game was a little bit of a struggle, but we put ourselves in position to be there at the end and were able to have a couple things go our way. That helped us mindset‑wise prepare for Saturday, and we probably put together our best 40 minutes of the year at Liberty on Saturday. So, all in all, I'm certainly very proud of the guys and pleased that we were able to have a 2-0 trip. Obviously, we have two tough tests at home this week versus New Mexico State and UTEP, who are playing better and better and obviously playing for a lot right now, so we have our work cut out for us and we need to have a good week of preparation to be ready for New Mexico State on Thursday." — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on Thursday's game against New Mexico State.
SERIES INFORMATION
- Thursday will mark the 17th meeting all-time between WKU and New Mexico State. The Hilltoppers lead the series, 12-4.
- WKU has won three of the last five matchups, but New Mexico State has won the last two meetings, including an 80-64 win over the Hilltoppers on Jan. 8.
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
- New Mexico State enters Thursday's game with a 13-13 overall record and a 6-10 mark in Conference USA play. The Aggies have won two in a row over Jax State and UTEP after dropping six of seven games from Jan. 22-Feb. 11.
- New Mexico State is led by head coach Jason Hooten, who is in his third season at the helm. He owns a 43-47 overall record with the Aggies and a 304-216 career record in 16 seasons.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.Â
