Tops roll past Tigers 84-60 to open homestand with win

Published 5:42 am Wednesday, December 11, 2024

by Jeff Nations

Western Kentucky used a quick start to race ahead of Tennessee State and barely let up for an 84-60 men’s basketball victory Tuesday night at E.A. Diddle Arena.

The Hilltoppers blazed ahead to a 14-2 lead in the first five minutes with prime shooting looks provided by a pressure defense that rattled the visiting Tigers early.

WKU (6-3) claimed its third straight win and a victory in the first of four straight home games at Diddle Arena stretching over the next two weeks, with Murray State next on Saturday followed by home dates with Seattle (Dec. 17) and Kentucky Wesleyan (Dec. 21).

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“Obviously we hope to play our best basketball here in Diddle,” WKU coach Hank Plona said. “You hope to play well no matter where you play, but no doubt our fans are here tonight, Saturday, Tuesday and Saturday — I think it’s four great games leading up to the holidays. I think hopefully we can get in a routine for these two weeks. Classes are behind us so our focus will be improving our basketball team and improving individually in these last three games before the break. Hopefully between now and then we’re able to do that, but I think there’s nothing better than playing in Diddle and hopefully we can continue to succeed out on that court.”

Graduate senior guard Khristian Lander finished with a team-high 19 points, hitting 5-of-7 from 3-point range and also tallying a team-best four assists. Senior guard Don McHenry was right there with him, scoring 18 points and notching a team-best four steals. The Tops forced Tennessee State (3-7) into 21 turnovers while committing only 10.

“Coach emphasized that they don’t play very well with the pressure, so we just didn’t want to let them get comfortable and settle into the game,” McHenry said. “We made that a key point, for sure, was getting out and pressuring them and making them uncomfortable and making things happen.”

That pressure also forced some suboptimal shots by Tennessee State, which shot just 31.7% overall and 22.2% (6-of-27) from 3-point range.

“I thought our full-court defensive pressure probably bothered them, whether you got some high-ball steals and runouts or turnovers — or even some quick shots,” Plona said. “There were a couple times when they were pushing it through and they took a shot in the first six or seven seconds of the shot clock, maybe it was a pull-up or mid-range and we were able to get the rebound and kind of run right back at them. We’re starting to figure out how to play full court on defense while still being efficient and smart in how we play on offense when we get the ball.”

The Tigers, who trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half, did make a run. Travis Harper II hit back-to-back 3-pointers to key a 12-2 surge that trimmed the Tops’ lead to single digits at 38-29 with 1:46 left in the first half.

WKU outscored the visitors 6-2 after that to grab a 44-31 halftime lead.

The start of the second half was a near repeat of the first, with WKU’s pressure creating problems for the Tigers and opportunities for the Hilltoppers, who broke the game open with a 17-6 run over the first 6 1/2 minutes of the second half.

“Probably similar to the first eight to 10 minutes of the second half at Evansville (a 79-65 win on Saturday), I thought the first eight to 10 minutes of the second half here was similar in making them uncomfortable and we were finishing on offense.”

Brandon Weston scored a game-high 22 points, including a 12-for-12 free-throw shooting performance, to lead Tennessee State. Justus Jackson added 11 points and Harper had 10 for the Tigers.

Joining Lander and McHenry as double-digit scorers for the Tops were Tyrone Marshall Jr. — who had one of his signature crowd-pleasing dunks off an alley oop pass from McHenry — with 12 points along with six rebounds, three steals and three assists.

“I’ve been trying to get it for a couple games,” Marshall said of the second-half dunk that came during the Tops’ decisive run. “It was good to get it this game — my boy Don. You know me, anything to get the fans going. I try to get them going — dunks, steals, blocks, anything.”

Babacar Faye added 11 points and six rebounds for WKU, which hosts Murray State Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m., with ESPN+ set to broadcast.

About Jeff Nations

Sports Editor, Bowling Green Daily News

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