Lady Toppers Notebook: Tops Steady, Still in the Race for First
Western Kentucky women’s basketball has had a wonderful year, and it hasn’t stopped in Conference USA play. WKU is 18–6 overall with a 9–2…
Western Kentucky women’s basketball has had a wonderful year, and it hasn’t stopped in Conference USA play. WKU is 18–6 overall with a 9–2 conference record. The Lady Toppers have yet to lose at home in conference, and its only two losses are to the other league favorites.
That being said, the Lady Toppers have struggled at times defensively, giving up significantly more points in its losses. Perhaps most concerning, WKU has Tashia Brown and Ivy Brown, but has no other guaranteed star. Raneem Elgedawy and Dee Givens are great, but they are not stalwarts.
Whitney Creech looked as if she would take a massive step forward at the beginning of the year. Instead, she has seen a decline in playing time and production since December. Sidnee Bopp, Lady Topper hero in the 2017 Conference USA tournament, has shown confidence all year. However, she has disappeared at times.
WKU recently lost by 15 to third-place Rice in a game much closer than the score. Before that, WKU had won six in a row. Clearly, WKU is playing good basketball.
Still, what do the Lady Tops need to win the regular season, and what do they need to do win the Conference USA Tournament in early March?
How to Win the Regular Season
Beat Middle: WKU goes on the road to Murfreesboro Thursday, February 15. Winning at Middle is always difficult, and the Murphy Center will surely be rocking for the Blue Raiders. WKU needs that win desperately
Protect Diddle: The Lady Tops take on Marshall and Charlotte within six days in Bowling Green. WKU can’t lose at home if they want to finish in first.
Tighten it up for Conference Tournament: Win and play well in the final two games.
UAB: Lose two games
Rice: Lose one game
Bottom Line: WKU owns no tiebreaker against the other two contenders, so it needs to win out to give itself a chance. Most likely, the two other teams will lose another game or two. Rice and UAB play each other Thursday at UAB. WKU needs to play consistent defense and have someone step up and be the third and fourth best players on the team.
How to win the Conference USA Tournament
Play defense.
Bench must be playing well
Consistent third and fourth scorer
Browns must be at their best: Tashia mustn’t overshoot; Ivy must stay out of foul trouble
Offense from the defensive-minded freshman
Bopp, Creech, and/or Givens must be able to make shots
Elgedawy must be able to get inside on offense and be a presence on defense.