WKU bounces back with win over Kentucky Wesleyan

Published 4:43 pm Thursday, December 12, 2024

By Micheal Compton

The Western Kentucky women’s basketball team got back on track with an 88-61 win over Kentucky Wesleyan on Wednesday at E.A. Diddle Arena.

After suffering its first loss with a cold shooting day at Wichita State on Sunday, WKU (8-1) shot a season-high 56.7% from the field – taking control early and never looking back in the final home game of the nonconference slate.

“We wanted to come back and play well,” WKU coach Greg Collins said. “We expected to win the game. We expected to win the game at Wichita. We didn’t shoot the ball well and we didn’t play well in that one quarter. It was good tonight to get back and you see the assists, the shooting percentage and the things that have been pretty consistent throughout the season except for last Sunday. It was good to get everyone in the game.”

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Senior guard Alexis Mead got the Lady Toppers going early, scoring 10 points in less than six minutes to help WKU build a 14-7 advantage.

A 9-0 spurt pushed the advantage to 23-9 late in the first quarter, but Kentucky Wesleyan was able to cut into the deficit with success from the 3-point line. The Panthers were 6-for-18 from the 3-point line in the first half, getting as close as 24-17 before WKU regained control and pushed the lead out to 46-31 after a layup from Destiny Salary as time expired in the first half.

WKU shot 59% in the first half, but committed 12 turnovers.

“Kentucky Wesleyan is one of the best Division II teams in the country,” Collins said. “They turn people over. That was one of the things we talked about at halftime. We had a lot of unforced turnovers. We have to be a little more patient and deliberate about what we’re doing with the ball.”

It was all WKU in the third quarter, with the Lady Toppers opening with an 11-0 run and pushing the lead to 71-41 by the end of the third quarter.

That allowed Collins to go to his bench in the final period with everyone playing, including the debuts of Caleigh Rose-West and Yendri Acosta. The reserves more than held their own, with Kentucky Wesleyan barely making a dent in the large deficit.

“I was really proud of the kids we had in down the stretch,” Collins said. “We had the same lead. Until we gave up that 3 from the corner at the very end of the game, they had played them even and done a pretty good job.”

Mead led the way for WKU with 19 points, four assists and four rebounds. It was the third straight game Mead has led WKU in scoring.

“We put in a lot of work in practice, coming off that loss,” Mead said. “It was a tough loss for us, but we wanted to come in here and make sure we handled business.”

Josie Gilvin added 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while Zsofia Telegdy finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Eight Lady Toppers finished with at least seven points, with at but one WKU player getting in the scoring column in Wednesday’s win.

WKU finished with 24 assists on 38 made shots.

“We definitely put an emphasis on finding people and finding the right shots,” Gilvin said. “That’s what we tried to do a lot tonight – finding those shots and having good possessions.”

WKU outrebounded Kentucky Wesleyan 39-28 and forced 24 turnovers – 12 steals – that led to 31 points.

The Lady Toppers return to action at 10 p.m. on Dec. 19, facing Oregon State in the Maui Classic in Hawaii. It will be the first of two games in Maui, with WKU facing Nevada on Dec. 20.

About Micheal Compton

I am a sports reporter and movie critic for the Bowling Green Daily News.

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