Lady Topper Hoops: Lady Tops Take Home Georgia State Tournament Title
The Western Kentucky Lady Toppers outlasted preseason SoCon favorite Mercer 67–62 Friday and finished off the Georgia State Tournament with…
The Western Kentucky Lady Toppers outlasted preseason SoCon favorite Mercer 67–62 Friday and finished off the Georgia State Tournament with a tough road win to host Georgia State, 74–63 on Sunday afternoon.
Tashia Brown and Ivy Brown were honored for their efforts: Ivy made the All-Tournament team and Tashia was selected as Tournament MVP.
The Lady Toppers entered the Georgia State Tournament with an opportunity to get back to .500 and slap two nice wins on the schedule. Mercer is no slouch, as they entered the contest with a 3–1 record. WKU dominated most of the game, but a huge run in the third quarter brought Mercer to within four after three. Mercer took a lead with three minutes left in regulation and the Tops found a way to squeak out a quality win.
The Georgia State game had a different dynamic. WKU could not get anything to fall for the first three quarters, shooting under 40% in each stanza. Georgia State (1–4) was largely in control until WKU seized a lead late in the third which they would never relinquish. Georgia State probably should have won the game, outshooting and outrebounding the Lady Toppers. However, WKU found a way to force Georgia State into 27 turnovers, outscrapping the Panthers by sheer volume. The Lady Tops shot 22 more shots than Georgia State.
These two performances were not extraordinary, but from Head Coach Michelle Clark-Heard’s perspective, I’m sure a win is a win. It was nice to see the Lady Toppers find a way to win two games they should have won.
Next Time Out
WKU returns home to take on Evansville Thursday on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT.
News and Notes
Tashia Brown is already flirting with rarefied air. Averaging 22.2 ppg(T-20th NCAA), she needs 36 points reach 1,500 career points.
Ivy Brown is nearly averaging a double-double, averaging 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds.
WKU is shooting 36.3% from three through its first six games.
Defensively, WKU has been porous, giving up 76 ppg (T-313th). There’s something to keep an eye on for WKU fans.
Head coach Michelle Clark-Heard is 133–42 (.760) in her five-plus seasons on the Hill.