Lady Topper Hoops: Tops Look to Improve to .500 Against Indiana

There is no question the Western Kentucky Lady Toppers should have their opponents’ full attention the rest of this season. WKU faces…

There is no question the Western Kentucky Lady Toppers should have their opponents’ full attention the rest of this season. WKU faces formidable Indiana in Bloomington tonight on the Big Ten Network Plus at 6 p.m.

To start 2017–18, WKU nearly won the Hawkeye Invitational, a tournament featuring four teams expecting to make a trip to the NCAA Tournament this year, including a dispatching of the 16th ranked Missouri Tigers. They were immediately voted as the 27th best team in the country by the Associated Press for their efforts.

They then followed that up with a toe-to-toe bout at home with the 6th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish Tuesday night, eventually falling by 13 in a game that was close until the final few minutes.

The Lady Tops feature six players averaging at least seven points, including preseason All-Conference USA members Tashia Brown (23 points per game, six rebounds per game) and Ivy Brown (13 ppg, 6.7 rpg).

Indiana returns all five starters from a 2016–17 squad that made it to the Women’s NIT Quarterfinals, finishing 23–11 on the year. The Hoosiers are loaded and experienced, featuring double-double machines Amanda Cahill (13 ppg, 11 rpg) and Kym Royster (12 ppg, 10.5 rpg) and senior guard Tyra Buss (25 ppg). Indiana has been stifling defensively, allowing only 50 points per game in their first two contests.

WKU handled Top 25 Indiana by double digits last year in Bowling Green, 85–74. However, Indiana dominated the glass, took more shots, and the Lady Toppers were only able to force 12 Hoosier turnovers. WKU got away with the victory with great free throw shooting (93%) and taking care of the basketball (seven turnovers).

Indiana and the Lady Tops are comparable in height. However, Indiana has recruited players with strength and girth in the post, and WKU struggled to move them out of the paint last year.

WKU had to play an exceptional game to overcome their lack of size in the frontcourt last season. WKU must hold their own on the glass, and they must find ways to score against a stout defense. Indiana has to find a way to stop the myriad Lady Topper weapons. Freshman Raneem Elgedawy could prove crucial in this particular match-up.

The Lady Toppers will need another great performance, and Indiana is completely different at home (17–3 at home the past two seasons). This is certainly an even match-up, but I believe the brutal schedule gets to the Lady Toppers, and they fall in another close one: Indiana 69-Lady Toppers 66.