WKU Basketball: Hilltoppers Win First Preseason Game Against Campbellsville, 91–66
We finally got our first taste of WKU hoops this year and it was about what you would expect as the Tops beat the Campbellsville Tigers…
We finally got our first taste of WKU hoops this year and it was about what you would expect as the Tops beat the Campbellsville Tigers 91–66.
Josh Anderson led all scorers with 22 points, five assists and six steals in the absence of Taveion Hollingsworth, who had to sit this game due to a single-game suspension for a violation of an unspecified team rule.
Jared Savage added 19 points on 3-of-5 shooting from downtown and freshman center Charles Bassey had 12 points and 11 rebounds in his Hilltopper debut.
The game was about what you would expect for the first organized game of the season.
WKU struggled tremendously in the first half on defense, allowing Campbellsville to hit 10 three-point shots. Desean Murray was the bright spot on defense while adding 14 points to WKU’s total on offense. There was also a lot of sloppiness on offense with some various fouls and miscues but the Tops still managed to shoot 59% and take a 47–39 lead at the half.
The second half looked much stronger for WKU thanks in part to freshman guard Dalano Banton who looked really strong playing the point and finished with nine points, six rebounds and four assists in his first game.
WKU was finally able to pull away, even still with some whimsical errors, to win 91–66 to start their preseason.
Some big takeaways were that this team got 91 points WITHOUT Hollingsworth and at times didn’t seem to be playing as hard as they could have. Obviously they’re not going to overexert themselves against an NAIA school but the effort was about maybe at 75%.
Defense struggled in the first half but was able to force 22 turnovers which included 14 steals. The offense looked pretty good, despite some bad calls and lack of communication (which will go away as they play more) and shot 56% for the game and 42% from three.
While it’s easy to nitpick every little detail, this team looked pretty good without one of their key players. With Hollingsworth not playing this game it probably helped some of the younger players shine and try to get assimilated to college hoops.
WKU now sets their sights on Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday in the Tops final tuneup. The game is already sold out making it the second consecutive sellout to start the season. The announced attendance for tonight’s game was a little under 5,000 but several people probably weren’t able to make the game.
However many people are there Saturday should see a team that hopefully plays better defense and gets some of the kinks knocked out of it as a regular season debut at #25 Washington looms closer.
If you missed the game, you can watch the Facebook Live replay below.