There’s no secret who is touching the basketball most of the time for Western Kentucky, especially when the Lady Toppers need it most in the fourth quarter.

It’s a do-whatever-it-takes mentality Tashia Brown has developed as one of Conference USA’s most dangerous scoring threats. She’s sending that message particularly in the fourth quarter when games are tight.

“Coach (Michelle Clark-)Heard talks about that G.O.A.T mentality,” freshman Sherry Porter said. “It means greatest of all time. She just turns that mentality on and does whatever the team needs her to do in the fourth quarter.”

Brown, playing in her native Georgia for the first time in her career, was everything WKU needed her to be in the Georgia State Tournament last week. She scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to rally the Lady Toppers to a 74-63 win over Georgia State on Sunday.

WKU (3-3) returns home for the first time in more than two weeks Thursday to host Evansville (2-2) at 7 p.m. in Diddle Arena. The game is available via a paid live stream on CUSA.tv.

Brown’s fourth-quarter rally isn’t the first time she’s been clutch late in games. In the final period through six games this year, Brown is averaging 7.8 points on 40 percent shooting from the field. She’s solid from the free-throw line with a 19-of-24 clip from the stripe in the fourth quarter.

In WKU’s season opener against Missouri, Brown had 13 of her season-high 30 points in the final quarter.

“I’m always in kind of an attack mode,” Brown said. “But in games if we need a basket I just do what I can for our team. I’m always looking for the best shot. I embrace it whether it’s attacking the ball or taking shots.”

Which she’s done more than any other player to a wide margin.

Overall, Brown has made 44-of-118 (.373) shots from the floor, which is 53 more attempts than the next in Whitney Creech (30-65, .462). By comparison, Brown made 170-of-407 (.418) shots last year and was 231-of-527 (.438) on field goals as a sophomore.

Through six games, she’s attempted 29 percent of the shots she took last year, but there’s clearly being more asked of the 6-foot-1 forward.

Heard said before the Georgia State Tournament that isolating Brown in one-on-one situations is by design. At some point – as if they’re not already scheming it this way – teams will turn more focus to Brown and open up shots for other players.

Brown leads WKU and Conference USA with 22.2 points per game, a mark that ties for 19th nationally, but also leads the team with 14 assists.

“I think what we all know and as we’ll start to see as the season goes is a lot of people will keep keying in on her,” Heard said. “What I really love about her is she just finds whatever it takes to be able to help this team. It’s not always about her scoring, it’s about being a leader and helping other people get in position they need to. That’s the one thing I’m proud of is her adjustments.

“In these games, she’s been able to take over in the fourth quarter and do these things. I think that’s what great players do and her and Ivy have stepped up in both of our games. I’m just really excited for them as we continue to keep growing.”

WKU plays Evansville before the team takes next week off for final exams. The Lady Toppers’ next game will be Dec. 10 at Southern Illinois. The Purple Aces enter with wins over Murray State and Westminster (Mo.) and losses to Alabama A&M and Eastern Illinois.

Hannah Noe (16.8 ppg), Brooke Dossett (15.5 ppg) and Kerri Gasper (12.3 ppg) lead the team in scoring.