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Big First Half Leads To Tops Win Over Kennesaw State

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - The WKU Men's Basketball team secured an 85-69 victory over Kennesaw State. The move to 11-6 overall with a 2-2 in CUSA with the win.

Tyrone Marshall Jr. Led the way for WKU in the scoring column, logging 20 points along with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Enoch Kalambay notched double-figures for a second consecutive game, charting 19 points highlighted by a 50-percent (6-for-12) shooting clip from the field with eight rebounds and three assists.

Four Hilltoppers finished in double figures scoring in total, with Don McHenry charting 15 points along with five boards, one steal and a game-high three blocks, and Khristian Lander rounding out the bunch with 14 points off 5-for-9 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.

Marshall Jr. Opened scoring for the Tops with a conventional three-pointer to tie things at three-all with 18:28 left in the first. After another KSU bucket, Marshall connected again on a three-pointer to take a 6-5 lead two minutes in. WKU forced a turnover and Marshall found Braxton Bayless in front of the KSU bench for the team's second three of the day to give the Tops a four-point, 9-5 lead.

Coming off the bench, freshman Julius Thedford made an immediate impact knocking down a long-range three to give WKU a 13-7 lead with 13:57 until the half. The Tops followed that up with a defensive stand, and Jalen Jackson found Kalambay in transition for another three to give WKU a nine-point lead, 16-7, with 13:12 remaining until the half.

After a KSU timeout, WKU forced the Owls into a shot-clock violation out of the break to mark a third forced turnover for the game. After a KSU bucket, WKU used a 12-0 run that included three forced turnovers to take a 28-9 lead with 7:58 left to play in the first

After a KSU basket to cut the Owls' scoring drought, WKU would score on the next two possessions to take a 21-point, 33-12 lead over the Owls. A quick 5-0 run by KSU forced the Tops to take a timeout leading, 33-17, with 5:07 left until the break. Marshall Jr. Connected from beyond the arc to push the WKU lead back out to 14, 38-24, with 2:01 until the half.

A made jumper by Jackson pushed WKU to 40 points, and the Tops went into the locker room at the half with a 15-point, 40-25 lead.

Up a dozen in the second, Jackson stripped one away and found Marshall Jr. In transition down under for the first WKU points of the half, leading 42-28 at the 17:52 mark. The Owls would cut the lead down to single digits, but on the next possession Marshall Jr. Was fouled on his way up and connected, converting the three-point play and putting WKU ahead, 48-36, with 14:21 left.

The Owls cut the margin to seven, but Kalambay found Lander in the corner for a three to put WKU up 13, 54-41, with 11:44 remaining. Out of the media break, Jackson fed Kalambay for his second three of the day for a 57-43 lead.

KSU would cut the WKU lead back down to nine, 64-55, with a made free throw, but Lander would counter on the other end with a second-chance tip-in to put WKU up 11 with 6:42 left in regulation.

Marshall Jr. Fed McHenry in the left corner for a three, pushing McHenry into double figures and putting the Tops up by 12, 73-61, with 4:20 left in the game. WKU would hold the Owls scoreless for the next two minutes before KSU hit a pair at the line to make it a 75-63 Hilltopper lead with 2:07 left to play.

With just over a minute remaining in the game, Lander would get fouled and convert on a three-point play to give WKU a 15-point cushion. The Tops maintained the lead and secured the 85-69 home conference win over Kennesaw State.

Hilltoppers Fall Short To Jax State Despite A Career Night By Kalambay

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Enoch Kalambay recorded a career-high 24 points, but a late run by Jacksonville State led to the Gamecocks' first-ever win over the Hilltoppers, 73-67.

The Hilltoppers drop to 10-6 overall with a 1-2 mark in CUSA league play.

One minute into the game, Thedford connected on a pair at the stripe to even the count at two apiece. Kalambay scored his first bucket of the night with a two-point driving layup in the paint off a fastbreak to again tie the game at 4-all. Down 6-4, Thedford knocked down a three to give WKU its first lead of the game, 7-6, at the 17:16 mark of the first. With 16:34 left until the half, Thedford fed Kalambay for another triple to give the Tops a 10-8 advantage. WKU secured a stop on the other end, and Jalen Jackson took one to the rack for a two-point lay giving the Tops a 12-8 edge just under four minutes in.

With 13:08 left in the half, the Gamecocks took the lead back with a made floater to go up 17-16. JSU would maintain a lead until the under-12 media timeout. With 10:56 left in the half, Kalambay buried a second triple, this from the right wing, giving WKU a 19-17 lead. The Tops were first to 20 with a transition layup by Thedford for a 21-18 advantage.

Connecting on just one of the team's last eight field goals, the Hilltopper lead dwindled down to one, up 23-22, with 3:47 until the break. Don McHenry then drove through traffic for his first points of the night to cushion the Tops' lead, 25-22, with 3:16 to play until the break. WKU then forced Jax State into a seventh turnover as McHenry connected again on the other end for the Hilltoppers' largest lead of the night, 27-22.

Holding the ball for the final possession of the half, a Thedford three was off and WKU would take a 27-24 lead into the half. 27 points are the fewest the Hilltoppers have scored in the first half all season.

Out of the break, the Gamecocks cut the lead to one before Kalambay fed Tyrone Marshall Jr. Under the basket for WKU's first points of the half. Marshall Jr. Followed that up with his first triple of the game to put the Tops ahead, 32-28, with 18:00 left to play in the second. After the Gamecocks tied it at 33, McHenry rolled one off the glass to take back the lead, 35-33.

Knotted at 35, Kalambay connected for his third three to break the tie and put WKU ahead, 38-35, with 15:04 left in regulation. A quick four points gave Jax State the lead back before a pair of foul shots by Kalambay gave WKU a 40-39 advantage with 13:09 to play.

Finding themselves down one again, Khristian Lander fed Braxton Bayless for a three, marking his first points of the night and giving WKU a two-point, 43-41 lead at the 12:33 mark of the second. The teams continued to battle back and forth, eventually even at 45 midway through the second half.

A 9-0 Jax State run combined with a 3:00 WKU scoring drought allowed JSU to take its largest lead of the game, up 58-49, with 5:19 left to play. A pair of Lander free throws would snap the drought with 4:41 remaining. Heading into the final media timeout, Jax State held an 11-point, 62-51 lead with 3:52 left in regulation.

Thedford connected on the Hilltoppers' first field goal in over five minutes to cut the deficit to nine with 2:33 remaining. Lander then grabbed a steal leading to a Thedford jam to make it a seven-point game with two minutes left to play in regulation. Jax State then pushed the margin back to 10 with a made three.

Now down eight, Kalambay drove to the basket and converted the hoop and harm to make it a five-point game with 1:21 left in the game. With 23.5 left, Lander connected on a long three to cut the margin to four, trailing 71-67. Jax State would hit a pair at the stripe to push the Gamecock lead back out to six, and WKU would get its second home loss of the season, 73-67.

WKU continues conference play hosting CUSA newcomer Kennesaw State on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tipoff from E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky. Is slated for 2 p.M. CT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Western Kentucky, Michigan Each Eye 10th Win Of Season

Reaching 10 victories before the New Year is an achievement worth aiming for, and both Western Kentucky and Michigan will have a chance at it when they meet Sunday night in Ann Arbor.

Western Kentucky (9-3) earned a 91-71 home win over Division II Kentucky Wesleyan on Dec. 21 and comes in averaging 82.0 points a game while shooting 37.2 percent from 3-point range.

Winners of six straight, the Hilltoppers have four players averaging in double figures in scoring: Don McHenry (18.5 points per game), Babacar Faye (15.2), Julius Thedford (11.8) and Khristian Lander (11.1).

"We're just trying to get better day by day and week by week," coach Hank Plona said. "Obviously we have some new pieces and we are a different team. We have had different experiences. We are playing a slightly different style. There are some similarities, but there are some differences too. We've had to grow. To these guys' credit, they've bought into certain things on both ends of the floor."

Michigan (9-3) also is coming off a lengthy holiday break, having last played on Dec. 22 in an 89-58 home win over Purdue Fort Wayne.

The Wolverines, who have won eight of their last 10, are shooting 34.7 percent from 3-point range and scoring 81.7 points per game.

Vladislav Goldin (13.7), Roddy Gayle Jr. (12.5) and Tre Donaldson (12.3) lead Michigan in scoring, while Danny Wolf is averaging 11.8 points and a team-high 10.2 rebounds.

With three losses by a combined five points, The Wolverines are that close to being an unbeaten top-10 team.

"At the end of the day, we've played really, really high-level basketball for about 25 to 30 minutes in all three (losses)," Michigan head coach Dusty May said. "And our goal is to just get closer to 40 minutes of high-level basketball. And I think as coaches, we're not looking for perfection. We're just looking for intense, passionate effort for 40 minutes."

--Field Level Media

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