Lady Topper Hoops: Lady Tops Jump on North Texas, Hold on for 79–65 Victory
The Western Kentucky Lady Toppers (15–5, 6–1 C-USA) continue to defy the odds. Facing a stifling North Texas (11–8, 2–5 C-USA) defense, WKU…
The Western Kentucky Lady Toppers (15–5, 6–1 C-USA) continue to defy the odds. Facing a stifling North Texas (11–8, 2–5 C-USA) defense, WKU found a way to produce against the Mean Green in a 79–65 win.
WKU pounced on the Mean Green, outscoring them by eight in each of the first two quarters to take a 40–24 halftime lead. The Toppers extended the lead to 22 after three. North Texas did slice the advantage to as close as 11 with one minute remaining, but was unable to truly threaten the Lady Toppers after the first quarter.
Tashia Brown (28 points, 10–11 from the free throw line) returned to her volume shooting, drawing a ton of fouls on her 26 shots. Veterans Ivy Brown (16 points, six rebounds) and Dee Givens (10 points, five rebounds) continued their consistent play. Perhaps the most significant development is Raneem Elgedawy’s consistent play. Raneem (12 points, six rebounds) is averaging nine points, eight boards, a block, and a steal a game in her freshman campaign.
WKU has somewhat struggled defensively in 2017–18. The Lady Toppers were a remarkable defensive team last season, but despite a large average scoring margin, the Lady Toppers have shown a propensity for inconsistency. In this game, WKU gave up 50 percent from behind the three point line. North Texas’ Terriell Bradley was remarkable, scoring 29 on 16 shots, drawing fouls at will. UNT also won the rebounding battle.
Overall, WKU impresses once again, but signs indicate a Lady Topper roster that still can improve.
News and Notes
With her 28 points Friday, Tashia Brown continues to catapult herself into the record books. Tashia is now inside the top 10 in scoring in Lady Topper history.
Raneem Elgedawy is putting in a freshman of the year caliber effort in her first season. Raneem is nearly averaging a double-double and contributes on both sides of the ball. At 6'4", she provides size the Lady Toppers have desperately needed for years.
WKU is now averaging winning by 13.7 points per game.
The Lady Topper defense is pivotal to their success. The Lady Toppers are 1–5 when allowing 70 or more. When holding opponents under this mark, they are undefeated (14–0).
WKU battles La Tech (13–7, 4–3 C-USA) on Sunday