The Hilltoppers fall to 18-12 overall and 11-8 in Conference USA play.
HOWÂ ITÂ HAPPENED
- WKU wasted no time building momentum, racing out to a 12-3 lead in the opening three minutes. Grant Newell set the tone with a 3-pointer on the first possession, followed by a perfect trip to the line for Teagan Moore. Newell added a tip-in and Moore capped the early surge with an and-one finish at the 16:57 mark.
- The Hilltoppers pushed their lead to double digits midway through the first half, 24-14, behind baskets from Leeroy Odiahi, Blaise Keita, Newell, Moore and Ryan Myers. Odiahi sank both free throws, Keita went on his own 5-0 run highlighted by an and-one spin move in the post, Newell added a free throw, Moore scored in traffic and Myers knocked down a baseline jumper.
- Missouri State responded with a 15-6 run to claw back into the game. Despite inside scores from Keita, Moore and Newell, the Bears cut the deficit to one, 30-29, with 5:38 remaining in the half.
- The Bears seized the momentum before halftime, heading to the locker room with a 43-38 advantage. Armelo Boone converted two free throws, LJ Hackman added a late layup and Newell closed the half with a layup and free throw for WKU.
- Missouri State stretched its lead to 15 through the first eight minutes of the second half. Moore accounted for five of WKU's 12 points during that stretch, while Hackman and Newell added baskets inside and Myers connected from beyond the arc. The Bears led 65-50 with 12:19 on the clock.
- Missouri State extended its advantage to as many as 19 in the closing minutes, securing an 87-74 win over WKU.
NOTABLES
- WKU drops to 18-12 overall, 11-8 in Conference USA play and 1-3 all-time against Missouri State.
- The Hilltoppers starting lineup featured Terrion Murdix, LJ Hackman, Teagan Moore, Grant Newell and Blaise Keita. It marked the first loss of the season for this starting lineup.
- Announced attendance at Great Southern Bank Arena was 2,159.
- Two Hilltoppers finished in double figures. Moore led all scorers with 23 points, while Newell added 13.
- Moore's 23 points came on 8-of-14 shooting, including 7-of-9 from the free throw line. He also grabbed three rebounds and recorded a steal in 26 minutes. The redshirt sophomore has now tallied six consecutive 20-point performances since returning from injury.
- Newell contributed 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting to go along with six rebounds, two steals and a block in 27 minutes.
- Off the bench, Armelo Boone added eight points and went 4-of-6 from the stripe in 23 minutes of action.
- Keita finished with seven points, three rebounds, a steal and a block, going a perfect 3-of-3 from the field in 20 minutes.
- Hackman chipped in seven points and six rebounds in 22 minutes.
- WKU held statistical advantages in multiple categories, including points off turnovers (9-6), points in the paint (38-32), second-chance points (20-15), fast-break points (7-5), bench points (24-21), rebounds (34-32), steals (6-3) and blocks (3-2).
NEXT UP
- WKU concludes the regular season on Saturday, March 7, at FIU. Tipoff inside the Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Florida, is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT, with the game airing on ESPN+.
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.
