COLD SNAP: Tops drop fourth straight with 78-62 loss to Bearkats

Published 1:36 am Friday, February 21, 2025

By Jeff Nations

The soul searching is underway for Western Kentucky’s men’s basketball team.

The Hilltoppers dropped their season-worst fourth consecutive game — and second straight at E.A. Diddle Arena — in a listless 78-62 loss against Sam Houston on Thursday night.

The Tops struggled to stop the Bearkats and scuffled for offense on a night it seemed the home team was never really in contention to win.

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With less than 48 hours to go before wrapping up the three-game homestand against a tough Louisiana Tech squad, WKU coach Hank Plona and his staff will be looking for answers to right what has gone wrong with the team.

“Obviously a very disappointing effort and performance tonight,” Plona said. “Every time you put on a WKU uniform, we expect to give our best effort and energy and togetherness, and represent our university and community in a better manner than that. That first half, obviously we didn’t do a very good job of preparing and being ready to play tonight. We’re either going to use this game as an opportunity and an avenue to really look in the mirror and evaluate where we’re at or obviously we’ve got a long way to go.”

WKU (14-12 overall, 5-8 Conference USA) led for just 1 minute, 44 seconds against Sam Houston (11-16, 4-10 CUSA) with the Bearkats taking the lead for good on Marcus Boykin’s jumper with 14:19 left in the first half — the start of an 11-0 run that had Sam Houston up 18-8 before the Tops finally responded with a jumper by Jack Edelen.

The Bearkats answered with a 3-pointer, but WKU guard Don McHenry found Edelen in the right corner for a 3 to cut the Tops’ deficit to eight, 21-13, with 8:22 until the half.

McHenry’s layup cut the deficit back down to single digits, 25-16, with 7:00 until halftime. Another 11-0 Bearkats run combined with another WKU scoreless streak allowed Sam Houston to jump out to a 36-16 lead with 4:24 left in the first half.

WKU graduate guard Braxton Bayless connected on his first 3-pointer to snap a 5:28 stretch without a field goal and Jalen Jackson’s floater from the middle of the paint would beat the halftime buzzer as the Tops trailed 43-25 at the break.

“I think we came out sluggish a little bit and shots weren’t falling,” WKU graduate senior forward Tyrone Marshall Sr. said. “And then some of the defensive possessions just wasn’t there. Defense is what makes our offense and we just weren’t connecting on the defensive end, so our offense is not going to connect too.”

The Tops opted for a first-time starting five, with walk-on senior guard Jaylen Dorsey joining Bayless, McHenry, Jackson and 6-foot-11 forward Blaise Keita for the tip-off. The Hilltoppers, who have struggled with injuries and illness all season, were again limited with graduate senior guard Khristian Lander battling a sore back — he scored just three points in nine minutes and didn’t play in the second half. Plona also opted to limit senior guard Enoch Kalambay to 8:28 of playing time, all in the first half, as he tried to find a spark.

“His back’s been bothering him since the game on Saturday, so he did not practice Monday or Tuesday,” Plona said of Lander, the team’s fourth-leading scorer — second among players healthy enough to suit up, with senior forward Babacar Faye and freshman guard Julius Thedford sidelined with knee injuries. “Khristian has been a huge part of our team and I would just say it’s physical with him. Once that game got to where it was … he was trying to play in the first half. After not practicing a couple days, didn’t want to start him — that’s why he didn’t start, but he tried to gut it out and go. So his is just a physical issue.

“Other than for him, I would tell you the rest of our rotations and playing time is based on practice and where we’re at as a team. As a group, I wouldn’t tell you we had the best practice habits all week and as a coach the last step you can take is to try and send a message. Jaylen Dorsey, certainly every day that I’ve been here for two years, brings a positive attitude and is a very good player who competes and puts the team above himself.”

WKU picked up its scoring in the second half, but the Bearkats blunted every potential rally by hitting 6-of-12 from 3-point range in the second half.

Lamar Wilkerson led Sam Houston with a double-double, tallying 14 points and 10 rebounds. Cameron Huefner nearly had a double-double of his own with 11 point and nine boards, and Marcus Boykin added 10 points.

McHenry led the Tops with 12 points, while Keita added a season-high 11 points along with nine rebounds. Marshall scored 11 points, all in the second half, and Edelen came off the bench to add 11 points.

Sam Houston outrebounded the Tops 45-34.

WKU is back in action Saturday at home against Louisiana Tech. Game time is 7 p.m. at E.A. Diddle Arena, with ESPN+ set to broadcast the matchup.

“I think maybe through our struggles this year, every game maybe we’ve put a Band-Aid on it or we’ve found a way to think that maybe it’s not tragedy, losing close to Jax State or being down by one vs. Middle and this and that,” Plona said. “But there’s some problems that have been building that really showed tonight as far as our togetherness and extra effort and defensive intensity and moving the ball on offense, playing for one another and just having a mentality that goes into success.”

Sports Editor, Bowling Green Daily News

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