In a perfect example of how defense can lead to offense, Western Kentucky shut down one of Conference USA’s top scoring teams Saturday and used it to run away with another league win.

After clawing through the first 10 minutes, there wasn’t anything the Lady Toppers didn’t do well the rest of the afternoon. WKU used a 23-0 run in the second quarter to run away with an 82-63 win over Florida Atlantic in the first game back at E.A. Diddle Arena since Jan. 18.

“To get that 23-0 run was good,” Ivy Brown said. “I think it tributes a lot to our defense. We were aggressive and picked it up full court and it turned into a lot of transition points for us.”

WKU (17-5 overall, 8-1 Conference USA) was challenged early by FAU (10-9, 3-4), but completely shut down an offense in the last three quarters that entered Saturday ranked fourth in the league with 74.2 points per game.

Of the 21 turnovers committed by the Owls, 18 were steals that WKU turned into 36 points. The majority of those points came during the dominant second quarter that helped WKU mount a 21-point lead at halftime.

The Lady Toppers kept the gap around 20 points the rest of the way.

“The most important thing was we had an unbelievable second quarter,” WKU coach Michelle Clark-Heard said. “We always talk about defense leads to offense and I think that’s what happened in the second quarter. It was a tight ballgame in the first quarter and we turned up the pressure a bit. I was proud of our group to be able to convert off those turnovers and I think get the momentum going, that’s when the game shifted.”

WKU’s senior Brown duo each logged a double-double. Reigning C-USA Player of the Week Tashia Brown led all scorers with 25 points and 11 rebounds while Ivy Brown logged her 11th double-double of the season with 14 points and 16 rebounds.

Both teams were rather even shooting with WKU making 33-of-79 (.418) from the floor against FAU’s 25-of-61 (.410) clip. Sidnee Bopp (8 points) led the Lady Toppers with a pair of 3s as the team shot 5-of-19 (.263) from behind the arc against FAU’s 6-of-20 (.300) mark.

The difference was defense.

“When we play defense together like that, it’s because everyone is rotating and everyone is helping each other,” Bopp said. “That’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re a team.”

Florida Atlantic led most of the first quarter behind 50 percent shooting. Two free throws from Ivy Brown capped a short 6-0 burst to put WKU ahead 18-17. Danneal Ford hit a 3-pointer on the other end to put the Owls back in the lead, but Dee Givens responded with her own triple with 11 seconds left in the quarter, giving WKU a 21-20 lead going into the second frame.

Then the rout was on.

WKU turned 10 turnovers into 20 points and FAU went nearly six minutes without scoring during the second-quarter run. The Lady Toppers’ 32 second-quarter points are the second-most since moving to the quarter format in 2015-16, which is topped only by 33 points scored in the fourth quarter against Dayton in the 2016 WNIT. The coach of that Dayton team? FAU coach Jim Jabir.

FAU finally scored with 1:04 left in the quarter, then scored twice in the final 11 seconds. Ford’s 3-point heave at the buzzer cut WKU’s lead to 53-32 at halftime.

“What it really shows for the coaching staff is that we’re finally putting things together,” Heard said about watching the 23-0 run. “As we come out of those huddles, they’re taking what we talk about and putting it on the floor. If one person is out of position when we play our full-court man, someone is going to be open because we trap sometimes. You have to be locked in that whole time and that’s what I was proud of in that second quarter. We could do those things to get quick turnovers and get quick baskets.”

Ivy Brown started the second half with back-to-back 3s to keep the momentum rolling for the Lady Toppers. The Owls finally cut the deficit under 19 points with their final bucket as WKU rolled to its 16th straight conference win at Diddle Arena.

Ford led three Owls in double digits with 22 points.

“It’s still a young group and we’re still learning every single day how to come out and prepare the way we need to,” Heard said. “I’m always pushing for more, so I was really proud of how they came out and took the challenge and I really believe that we got better today.”

NOTES

Michelle Clark-Heard is now 147-44 in six seasons as WKU’s coach. … WKU extended the win streak over FAU to eight games and leads the overall series 17-2. … WKU has won 16 straight conference games at E.A. Diddle Arena, the longest such streak for the Lady Toppers since winning 17 straight from the 2003-04 to 2006-07 seasons. … Ivy Brown’s 11th double-double is her season-best. … Tashia Brown’s double-double against FAU is her second this season and third overall. … Announced attendance was 2,145.{&end}