The predictions were voted on by each league’s 10 head coaches. WKU mens received 85 points, just two behind Louisiana Tech’s 87. The Hilltoppers received two first place votes. 

The Lady Toppers received 61 points behind FIU’s 73, Liberty’s 88 and first place MTSU’s 99. 

C-USA also announced the Preseason All-Conference Honorees. Senior guard Don McHenry and graduate forward Tyrone Marshall Jr. were both named to the list. Senior guard Alexis Mead was named to the C-USA Women’s Basketball Preseason Team. 

The men’s team will get an unofficial start to the season in a charity exhibition against UAB on Sunday, Oct. 27 at Diddle Arena. The Hilltoppers first official game is a home game against Wichita State on Nov. 4. 

The Lady Toppers have a home exhibition against Lee University on Oct. 29 and will officially start the year at Indiana State on Nov. 4. 

Sports Editor Jake McMahon can be reached at michael.mcmahon480@topper.wku.edu

Of the 12 games announced, six of them will be in E.A. Diddle Arena, including the preseason opener against Lee University.  This preseason exhibition, which takes place Tuesday, Oct. 29,  will also be the night of the second annual Top’r Treat, which will have trick-or-treating pregame and Halloween themed promotions during the game.

The Lady Toppers officially tip-off the season in Terre Haute, Indiana versus Indiana State on Monday, Nov. 4.  WKU holds a 5-1 record against the Sycamores, with the most recent win being in 2022.

WKU’s home opener is versus Kentucky State on Saturday, Nov. 9.  WKU has won all 11 meetings versus the Thorobreds, with the last win coming in 2021.

WKU will then head to Macon, Georgia to play the Mercer Bears on Tuesday, Nov. 12.  These two teams will meet for the second straight season, with WKU holding a 3-1 series record.  Former WKU head coach Michelle Clark-Heard is in her first season with the Bears. 

WKU will then travel to Abilene, Texas to play Abilene Christian.  WKU prevailed 72-68 in their meeting last season.

The Lady Toppers are set to return to Diddle Arena for a three game stretch, starting on Sunday, Nov. 24 versus North Dakota.  This will be their third all time meeting and their first since 2011.  

Tennessee State and Miami (OH) will also come to Bowling Green in late November and early December.  WKU is 7-0 all-time versus the RedHawks and 4-1 versus Tennessee State.

WKU will travel to Wichita, Kansas to play the Wichita State Shockers on Sunday, Dec. 8.  It will be the first meeting between the two. 

 The Lady Toppers will host Kentucky Wesleyan for their final home non-conference game on Wednesday, Dec. 11.

WKU will then travel to Maui, Hawaii to play in the Maui Classic, hosted by Oregon State, who WKU will play on Thursday, Dec. 19.  They will then play Nevada on Friday, Dec. 20.  Last season, WKU fell to Oregon State, but prevailed versus the Wolfpack. 

The Lady Toppers close out non-conference play versus Kentucky on Saturday, Dec. 28 in Lexington.

“We had a good showing of fans come out, students came out and just to see the joy on their faces meant a lot,” WKU guard Jalen Jackson said. “It means a lot just giving back.”

Athletes from the men’s and women’s basketball teams coached their respective teams ahead of Tuesday night’s game. Team Black, coached by the male athletes, won a 32-30 nail-biter.

“I think it’s absolutely amazing that people are willing to give up time in their day. I mean, the student athlete schedule is hectic, but they’re still here to cheer them on,” Rachel Payne, assistant organizer with Hilltopper CLIMB, said. 

Hilltopper CLIMB, WKU’s student athlete development program, works to provide volunteer and community outreach opportunities for collegiate athletes.

The excitement surrounding the Unified game, the signature service project for both the men’s and women’s teams, might very well open the door for more community outreach events like it in the future. 

Looking ahead, the athletes are already excited for next year. 

“It’s amazing,” Junior guard Josie Gilvin said. “It’s always something you look forward to.”

With an opportunity to avenge their previous loss to the Flames, WKU was unable to complete the comeback in the final seconds, missing two to three-pointers to tie it.  This loss eliminates the team from the conference tournament and NCAA tournament contention. 

Senior guard Destiny Salary gave it all she had, dropping 22 points on 50% shooting from the field.  She added nine rebounds.  Fellow senior guard Teresa Faustino added 12 points. 

WKU shot 36.5% from the field and made seven three-pointers on 26 attempts.  Three missed free throws in the game were the difference. 

The first half started off slow for WKU.  They shot 1-10 on non-three-point shots and 4-17 from the field in the first quarter.  They outrebounded the Flames 12-11 and only trailed by three ending the quarter.  In the second quarter, WKU improved their shooting percentage to 40% for the quarter.  The defense forced six turnovers.  Salary scored five points in the quarter, leading WKU who was down just six at halftime 31-25. 

In the second half, things turned around.  Salary led the charge with nine points in the third quarter.  The team shot 50% from the field and forced six more Liberty turnovers.  WKU held the Flames to four made field goals, giving the Lady Toppers the score advantage in the third 18-14.   

The fourth quarter continued to be the Destiny Salary takeover game, leading the team in scoring throughout the second half.  WKU never led in the fourth but kept it close despite tying it in the third.  Down four, a clutch three-point basket by Faustino cut the lead to one with 11 seconds remaining.  However, despite two attempts with 10 seconds remaining, WKU missed two three-point opportunities after the intentional foul free throws by Liberty, falling 62-59.  

This loss takes the Lady Toppers out of C-USA and NCAA tournament contention.

With a quick turnaround, WKU will travel to Huntsville, Alabama, looking for revenge against the Flames in the quarterfinal round of the CUSA tournament.  The Lady Toppers finished the regular season tied for sixth place with UTEP and New Mexico State, officially finishing seventh. 

Liberty, meanwhile, finished second behind Middle Tennessee State.  They overcame an eleven-point deficit Saturday to defeat WKU 84-77, splitting the series.  Flames junior guard Emma Hess scored 22 points while leading scorer, junior guard Bella Smuda, added 21 points and nine rebounds.  The Lady Toppers had no answer for Liberty in the fourth quarter, being outscored 30-16 in that quarter giving Liberty the win. 

The Lady Toppers are 31-4 all-time in the conference tournament quarterfinals, winning four straight appearances.  With them passing their season average of 64.5 points per game with 77 versus Liberty, it is possible that the offense can get going.  The question becomes if they can close the game out. WKU is 6-7 when they score 67 points or more and have given up numerous double-digit leads.   

With sophomore guard Acacia Hayes returning last week, she will have some time to rest and prepare as she brings another element of offense and defense to the team.  Hayes is the team’s leading scorer and third in three-point shooting percentage.  The conference steal leader, junior guard Alexis Mead, earned All-CUSA Second Team and All-Defensive Team honors in the postseason awards. 

Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. CT.  The winner will play the winner of the third-ranked FIU and sixth-ranked New Mexico State on Friday. 

In the regular season finale, WKU took command of the game early, stretching the lead in the second and third quarters, but 30 points in the fourth quarter allowed Liberty to overcome an 11-point deficit to win. 

The loss ends WKU’s regular season at 15-16 (6-10 CUSA) and a six-game losing streak. 

In her final regular-season game as a Lady Topper, senior guard Destiny Salary led the team with 15 points and four assists.  She looked comfortable on the floor, returning to the starting lineup and being the team’s primary ball handler outside of junior guard Alexis Mead.  Sophomore guard Josie Gilvin came in and scored 15 points in 15 minutes, giving quality minutes off the bench. 

Senior guard Teresa Faustino scored 14 points on 6-11 shooting from the field. Mead added 12 points and five assists. 

To open the first quarter, Liberty jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead on the team’s first two possessions, taking advantage of the team’s size advantage over WKU.  After an early timeout at 8:29, the Flames would stretch the lead to 9-2.  WKU would then use the last five minutes to go on a 13-3 run to end the quarter.  Faustino led the team with seven points in the quarter.  The WKU defense forced six turnovers in the quarter and scored 10 of their 15 points off those turnovers. 

Liberty was knocking down threes at will in the second quarter, with true shooting at 4-9 for the period.  At the 7:31 mark, Hayes made her return to the court for the first time since the team’s Feb. 3 matchup against Middle Tennessee State.  She made an immediate impact on her return, forcing a turnover on the following Liberty possession.  Gilvin scored nine in the quarter to help spark a 13-2 WKU run for the last 5:10 of the second.  Despite only scoring 18% from beyond the arc, the Lady Toppers led 37-30 at halftime.  Faustino took over during the Liberty scoring drought, getting into the cookie jar on back-to-back steals. 

Quarter three saw the usual Mead takeover, with the guard scoring eight points.  Faustino added five points, and the WKU offense did not turn the ball over in the quarter.  The team shot 60% from the field and 75% from three. 

The fourth quarter opened with an 11-0 Liberty run, giving them the lead for the first time since the first half.  The fourth quarter woes that have plagued WKU throughout this season began to show up once more.  The team shot 20% as Liberty went on a 19-4 run, putting the game out of reach for WKU.   

This game concludes the 2023-2024 regular season for WKU.  Up next is the Conference-USA tournament in Huntsville, Alabama. 

For Senior Day and Alumni Day, WKU will play the Flames as the team looks to maintain the fifth seed in the conference.  Standing at 6-9 in the conference, they hold a tiebreaker with Jacksonville State, and they will win the tiebreaker if the Gamecocks lose. 

The Flames average 65 points per game.  They scored 52 in their last matchup, falling victim to the behemoth known as Middle Tennessee State.  The Flames are 12-6 this season when they score 63 or more points.  Liberty also shoots 70% as a team from the free-throw line, which is good for second in Conference-USA.  The team is led by junior center Bella Smuda, who averages 14.8 and 9.8 rebounds per game.  She scored 17 points and grabbed 14 boards in the teams loss to the Lady Raiders. 

A ceremony at the game’s end will honor the WKU seniors.  Teresa Faustino, Aaliyah Pitts, Odeth Betancourt and Destiny Salary along with team manager Marcus Moye will be the seniors recognized. 

Trying to avoid dropping their fifth consecutive game, the Lady Toppers led by as much as 16 in the game.  FIU went on a 9-0 run to end the game to earn the season sweep over WKU. 

Senior guard Teresa Faustino led WKU in scoring with 18 points, four rebounds, and four steals.  Junior guard Alexis Mead added 17 points, four rebounds, and seven assists.  The team forced 20 turnovers including 16 steals. 

The Lady Toppers had one of their best-scoring halves this season during the first half. The team scored 21 points on 56.3% shooting from the field.  Mead had five points and three assists in the first quarter and helped lead a high-speed offensive attack.  Faustino, who had nine points in the first half, also scored five points in the first quarter. 

WKU lead 21-15 to end the first quarter.  In the second quarter, however, the team began to stretch their lead over FIU.  Mead added another eight points on 100% shooting while Faustino added four.  WKU shot 46.7% in the quarter while holding FIU to 3-14 shooting from the field. 

FIU was hounded all throughout the first half.  They shot 2-10 from beyond the arc, gave the ball away 14 times, and were getting out-rebounded on the defensive glass, similar looks from their previous matchup.  

FIU jumped out to an 11-4 run to start the third quarter.  The Lady Toppers countered with a 9-0 run to stretch the lead to 54-40 with just under four minutes left in the third.  However, an 8-0 run by the Panthers and a 2:09 scoring drought by WKU allowed FIU to cut the lead to eight at end the third quarter. 

WKU started the fourth quarter cold, shooting 1-6 from the field.  FIU brought the game within three points and a deep three as the shot clock was expiring gave FIU a 71-68 lead with 10.6 seconds remaining.  A missed three-pointer by junior Destiny Salary completed the FIU comeback. 

WKU shot 5-16 in the fourth quarter and was outscored 23-12.  They did not score in the last three minutes of the game. 

The Lady Toppers will conclude their regular season at Diddle Arena versus Liberty on Saturday, March 9 at 2 p.m.  The game can be watched on ESPN + 

With just two games remaining this regular season, WKU will open play in March looking to end their four-game losing streak before the conference tournament.  Sitting at 15-14 (6-8 CUSA), WKU still sits fourth in the conference, but a loss will drop them below Louisiana Tech and UTEP.  A win will help maintain their place inside the top four. 

FIU is one of the better three-point shooting teams in the conference, knocking down 6.2 per game.  When the team meets their average, they are 9-2 this season.  The Panthers average 69.2 points per game and allow 63.7 points per game.  The second highest-scoring team in the conference is led by sophomore forward Mya Kone, who averages 11.5 points and eight rebounds per game.  She scored 17 points and grabbed 12 boards in FIU’s last game versus Jacksonville State. 

The Lady Toppers average 64 points per game and allow 62.6 points per game.  They have the second lowest turnover average per game and have the highest turnover margin in the conference.  They force 19.8 turnovers per game, thanks in part to junior guard Alexis Mead’s conference-leading 57 steals.  WKU leads the conference in steals overall with 10.8 per game.  

Dating back to the 1998-99 season, the Lady Toppers hold a 36-11 record versus the Panthers.  They are 20-2 versus FIU in Bowling Green. 

Tip-off is at 1 pm CT.  It can be watched on ESPN + 

With a nine-point lead in the third quarter, WKU went cold, shooting 1-16 from the field in the fourth and going the last 3:53 seconds of game time without scoring.  Another cold shooting night plagued the team as they were unable to capitalize off LA Tech’s mistakes. 

This is WKU’s fourth consecutive loss and drops the team to 15-14 (6-8 CUSA).

Senior guard Destiny Salary scored eight points in the contest, leading the team with sophomore guard Karris Allen who had eight points and eight rebounds. 

The first quarter opened with a quick 6-0 start for LA Tech. They stretched the lead to 9-2 with 4:30 remaining in the quarter.  The Lady Toppers went on an 8-4 run to end the quarter.   

The second quarter was low scoring like the first.  WKU forced 12 LA Tech turnovers and scored 11 points off them in the first half.  WKU only shot 8-30 from the field, but 1-6 shooting from the free throw line for LA Tech kept the game tied going into halftime. Junior guard Alexis Mead and senior forward Odeth Betancourt both had five points. 

WKU opened the second half hot, going on an 8-0 run.  The defense held LA Tech to 4-24 from the three-point line for the game and just four made shots in the third quarter.   

The fourth quarter opened with WKU starting 0-9 from the field.  With 3:53 left in the fourth quarter, they finally scored, but the Lady Techsters were now within one after trailing all second half.  The Lady Techsters went scoreless for almost four minutes near the end of the game, until a late foul by WKU gave LA Tech the lead off free throws.  Two more turnovers would seal the game for LA Tech. 

The Lady Toppers went 2-6 in the month of February and did not win a game on the road.  They return home for their last two games, both very important for tournament seeding.  They will start with FIU on Saturday at 1 p.m.  

The game can be watched on ESPN +