HOW IT HAPPENED
Torri James, Tia Shelling, Trinity Rowe, Zsofia Telegdy and Salma Khedr were the first five on the court for WKU for the sixth consecutive game. It is the ninth time this season the group has started a game together.
James scored the first points of the game just 20 seconds into the game after winning the tipoff. The two teams went back and forth but a 4-0 run by the Blue Hens gave Delaware a two-point lead with 6:26 left in the quarter. Khedr tied the game with a layup, but Delaware came right back to go back ahead by two. A three from Rowe put WKU on top, but the Blue Hens used another 4-0 run to take a three-point lead. WKU caught fire from 3-point range and hit three straight triples from Khedr, Rowe and Tatum Boettjer to build a six-point lead. The Blue Hens cut into the lead with a bucket and foul shot, but James closed out the quarter with a pair of free throws to give WKU a 23-18 lead going into the second quarter. The two teams were dead even in the second quarter, each scoring 14 to make the score 37-32 going into halftime.
WKU went ahead by nine at the 6:45 mark of the third quarter behind another three from Khedr, but the Blue Hens used an 8-2 run to get back within three. The Lady Toppers responded with a 6-0 run. The two teams traded baskets from there and WKU took a 60-53 lead into the fourth quarter.
After Delaware cut the lead to three in the first minutes of the fourth quarter, WKU answered back with a 6-0 run to go back in front by nine. The Blue Hens responded with a 7-0 run to get back within two with 3:57 left in the game. Telegdy made a pair of free throws to put WKU back ahead by four on the next play, but the Lady Toppers went cold from the field for over three minutes. In that time, Delaware made a three and scored a basket to take a one-point lead with 1:17 left. Both teams missed shots and came up with defensive rebounds on the next two possessions, but Shelling came up with a crucial offensive rebound and put it back up to give WKU the lead back with 25 seconds left. The Blue Hens drove to the basket for the go-ahead basket but were fouled. The Blue Hen player missed both free throws and WKU came up with the defensive board. James made 1-of-2 from the free throw line after a foul to put WKU ahead by two with eight seconds left. WKU came up with another defensive stop on the final possession of the game to come away with the road victory.
NOTABLES
- Salma Khedr led WKU in scoring for the 10th time this season, putting up 19 points to go with a career highs in assists with five and in steals with four. She also connected on a career high three 3-pointers. She also had three rebounds and two blocks. In the last three games, Khedr is averaging 18.3 points per game. It was her 14th double digit game of the season.
- Trinity Rowe scored 16 points to go along with five assists and four made 3-pointers. She's made four threes in back-to-back games after doing so against Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Feb. 21. Over the last four games, Rowe is averaging 6.0 assists per game. It was her 10th double digit scoring game of the season.
- Torri James added 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. It was James' ninth double digit scoring performance of the season and third in the last four games.
- The Lady Toppers had a season high 20 assists in the game and tied a season low in turnovers with nine. WKU also only had nine turnovers in the first meeting with Delaware this season.
- WKU improves to 5-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points and 84-21 under head coach Greg Collins when doing so.
- The Lady Toppers connected on 10 3-pointers in the game, tying a season high. WKU improves to 6-2 this season when hitting more than six threes.
UP NEXT
The Lady Toppers will stay on the road to take on Liberty on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 2:00 PM.
How to Follow the Lady Toppers: For complete information on Lady Topper Hoops, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @LadyTopperHoops on X, @LadyTopperHoops on Instagram, @WKU.WBB on TikTok and on Facebook at facebook.com/WKUWomensBasketball.
