GAME INFO
- WKU (18-11, 11-7 CUSA) at Missouri State (13-16, 7-11 CUSA)
- Thursday, March 5 | 7 p.m. CT | Great Southern Bank Arena | Springfield, Mo.
- Watch:Â ESPN+Â (PxP: Don West | Analyst: Carly Stubblefield)
- Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Hal Schmitt)
- Live Stats:  StatBroadcast
- Social: @WKUBasketball | @WKUSports
- Game Notes: WKU | Missouri State
ABOUT THEÂ TOPS
- WKU Hilltopper Basketball extended its winning streak to six with a dominant 97-65 win over UTEP on Senior Day Saturday afternoon inside E.A. Diddle Arena. The Hilltoppers delivered one of their most complete offensive performances of the season, shooting a season-best 59.3% from the field and capping the day with a 25-5 closing run to secure their third straight victory by at least 20 points. Grant Newell, Teagan Moore and LJ Hackman powered the attack with 25, 24 and 21 points, respectively, marking the first time since 2007 that three Hilltoppers scored 20-plus in the same game. Ryan Myers added 13 points off the bench, while Terrion Murdix dished out a season-high nine assists as WKU improved to 18-11 overall and 11-7 in Conference USA play.
- Depth has been a major strength for WKU this season as the Hilltoppers are averaging 32.5 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 11 of their last 15 outings, including seven of the last nine games.
- Through 25 games, WKU has established itself as one of the nation's premier free throw teams, ranking 16th nationally with 19.3 makes on 25.2 attempts per game. The Hilltoppers have earned at least 21 attempts in 25 contests, including six games with 30 or more against Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State, Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee, Delaware and New Mexico State, plus a season-high 41 attempts against Bethel (Tenn.). WKU's free throw percentage has skyrocketed over the last four games as the Hilltoppers have shot 83.4% (121-of-145) at the line, highlighted by a season-best 95.7% (22-of-23) effort against league-leading Liberty on Feb. 21.
- Redshirt sophomore guard Teagan Moore has emerged as WKU's go-to offensive option, pacing the Hilltoppers with 18.8 points per game to go along with 5.7 rebounds. He has reached double figures in 21 of his 24 appearances this season, scoring at least 15 points 20 times and posting 11 20-point outings. The Dry Ridge, Kentucky, native is putting together an efficient all-around shooting campaign, converting 53.1% from the field, 41.3% from beyond the arc and 80.2% at the free throw line. Those numbers place him among the league's elite, ranking second in CUSA in scoring (18.8 ppg), third in field goal percentage (53.1%) and seventh in free throw percentage (80.2%). Since returning from a five-game absence due to a head injury, Moore has delivered five straight standout performances, averaging 24.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He was named CUSA Player of the Week for the second straight week on March 2 after WKU defeated New Mexico State on Feb. 26 and UTEP on Feb. 28,  averaging 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.5 steals per game, shooting nearly 70% from the field (16-of-23), 50% from long distance (2-of-4) and 68.4% from the foul line (13-of-19) during the perfect 2-0 week.
- Senior forward Grant Newell has provided a reliable scoring punch in his first season on The Hill, averaging a career-high 12.7 points and 4.6 rebounds across 29 games. He has scored in double figures 21 times, highlighted by five outings with 20 points or more. The Chicago, Illinois, native has been playing his best basketball of the year during WKU's six-game winning streak, averaging 18.8 points and 5.5 rebounds over that span. He scored 23 points against FIU, 20 against Middle Tennessee, 21 at Liberty, 18 against New Mexico State and 25 against UTEP. He has been highly efficient during the streak, shooting 53.5% (38-of-71) from the field, 48.6% (17-of-35) from 3-point range and 83.3% (20-of-24) from the free throw line.
- Junior guard LJ Hackman has emerged as a reliable scoring option for WKU, averaging 15.4 points over his last five games. During that stretch, he is shooting an efficient 55.8% (24-of-43)Â from the field and 83.3% (25-of-30) from the free throw line. The Columbus, Mississippi, native recorded his first Division I double-double in the Feb. 26 win over New Mexico State, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He followed that performance with a Division I career-high 21 points against UTEP on Feb. 28.
- 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 10.9 points, a team-best 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. 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 6.2 points, a team-high 4.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals after missing the last two years with leg injuries. In conference play, he leads the league in steals per game (2.2 spg), recording at least one steal in 20 of 21 games played. He recorded a season-high nine assists in the Feb. 28 win over UTEP.Â
- Graduate forward Blaise Keita has recently become a steady force in the paint for WKU, grabbing 69 rebounds over his last nine games for an average of 7.7 boards per game — the best stretch of his Division I career.Â
QUOTABLE
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"Just trying to finish up our regular season strong this week, at Missouri State tomorrow night and at FIU Saturday. I would like to continue building our togetherness and continue to play solid on both ends of the court. Obviously, coming off a pretty strong week and we're moving in the right direction. Two tough road tests, two teams that are playing for their lives, two teams that will play with some urgency and desperation, that have a lot of talent that we were successful against here, but I think we respect their talent and ability. So, big one for us tomorrow night at Missouri State and we'll try to keep building on what we've done in the last month or so." — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on Thursday's game at Missouri State.
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SERIES INFORMATION
- Thursday's matchup will be just the fourth all-time meeting between WKU and Missouri State, and the second between the programs as Conference USA opponents.
- The Bears owns a 2-1 edge in the series. The Hilltoppers earned their first win over Missouri State 87-72 on Jan. 14 earlier this season in Bowling Green.Â
SCOUTING THE BEARS
- Missouri State comes into Thursday's game at 13-16 overall and 7-11 in Conference USA play. The Bears have lost seven games in a row, most recently falling 86-81 at Sam Houston on Feb. 28.
- Missouri State is led by head coach Cuonzo Martin, now in his fifth season overall and the second year of his second stint with the program. He holds an 83-80 record at Missouri State and a 286-237 mark over 16 seasons as a head coach.
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
