WKU Basketball: Tops Momentum Stalls In 81–76 OT Victory By UTSA
Despite multiple chances to put away UTSA, WKU lost focus in overtime and ended their regular season with an 81–76 overtime thud on senior…
Despite multiple chances to put away UTSA, WKU lost focus in overtime and ended their regular season with an 81–76 overtime thud on senior night in front 5,411 in E.A. Diddle Arena.
WKU once again started off slow, falling behind 8–2 early but rebounded quickly only trailing 8–7 after the first TV timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, the Tops started to assert their dominance, jumping ahead 14–11 on the strength of two Marek Nelson three-pointers.
WKU’s momentum turned on a Rick Stansbury technical foul after he was called for arguing a questionable out of bounds call in front of the Hilltopper bench. The Roadrunners took advantage of the call, turning that deficit into an 18–16 lead heading into the 12 minute timeout.
The Tops lost focus after the timeout falling behind 23–16 at the 9:25 mark as unheralded Giovanni De Nicolao burnt WKU for 13 first-half points. WKU clawed back, eventually cutting the lead to one after a Taveion Hollingsworth and-one with five minutes left, but the Tops trailed by four heading into the under four timeout.
WKU amplified their intensity before the break, tying the game at 34–34 on a Charles Bassey dunk with 2:35 remaining. Both teams would traded free throws and entered the locker room tied at 36–36.
The Tops briefly took the lead in the second half on a Jared Savage three-pointer. Jhivvan Jackson followed with a 5–0 run all on his own.
Trailing 47–43 with 13 minutes left, WKU came back to tie the game only to lose concentration again fall behind by as much as six points.
The UTSA lead fluctuated from two to six points as WKU couldn’t get over the hump on offense with five minutes remaining in the game.
In the closing moments, the Tops locked down on defense and retook the lead, 60–59, around the 4:30 mark.
WKU’s defense came alive in the last two minutes, forcing a Keaton Wallace travel and a missed jumper by Jackson. In between, Jared Savage made two free throws to give WKU a 67–65 lead with 55 seconds remaining.
After a poor offensive possession by WKU, Jackson hit a deep desperation three, giving UTSA a one-point lead with 20 seconds left.
Lamonte Bearden drove down the court and drew a foul with a chance to take the lead with five seconds remaining, missing his first free throw but hitting his second to clinch another overtime trip between the two sides.
In the overtime period, both teams traded baskets for the first three minutes. After that, UTSA locked in as Jackson forced fouls and WKU couldn’t answer on the offensive end.
An exciting game ended in a whimper as WKU’s offense stalled again at the worst time and the Roadrunners escaped Diddle with an 81–76 overtime victory.
Here are some postgame thoughts on WKU’s missed opportunity
Lamonte Bearden had a senior night to remember, finishing with 17 points, eight assists, and three steals. The missed free throw was tough at the end but we’ll definitely miss his steady presence next year with tons of questions at the point guard position.
Marek Nelson got the start for a disciplined Josh Anderson (who was late for shootaround, per Stansbury) and showed why he can be a key player down the stretch. On the night, he finished with eight points, four rebounds and several hustle stats. That production from the bench has been missed since his injury.
Taveion Hollingsworth reverted back to ineffective Tay this game. He was inefficient (4–14) and missed all five three-point attempts. When he’s not on his game, this team takes three steps back on offense.
Jared Savage had a solid night, going 4-for-7 from three (14 points) and finished with six rebounds. That will do most of the time.
I’ve said it a lot lately but this team lacks a killer instinct. Unlike other teams, WKU just doesn’t know how to handle success and repeatedly loses focus when they have the other team on the ropes. It’s frustrating to see and doesn’t bode well for Frisco.
WKU was outrebounded 37–29 on the night, continuing a troubling trend in recent losses. WKU should never get outrebounded in C-USA games due to their size and length. That hustle by UTSA regularly gave them multiple chances that cost WKU the game
Charles Bassey was his regular spectacular self. He finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks on just 7-of-9 shooting from the field. It’s a shame such a great season has been wasted on a dysfunctional team.
WKU did a solid job of containing Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace until late. They combined to finish with 42 points on 32 shots. That will do most nights, especially when the game doesn’t go to overtime. I wish WKU had a clutch player like Jackson is: He willed UTSA to victory in OT.
WKU won the turnover battle 21–12. That will do it on most nights but that was negated by the rebounding disparity and UTSA hitting 13 three-pointers. Those latter two are definitely focus based.
Josh Anderson picked a bad time to get in Stansbury’s bad graces. Coming off the bench he struggled, shooting 1–5, finishing with four points and wasn’t really a factor. Hopefully, he’s locked in next week because when he’s on his a difference maker.
With the loss, WKU all but locks in a three seed next week in Frisco. They’ll probably get UTSA again in the semifinals if they can get there. Once again, WKU couldn’t handle recent success and now hits the most crucial part of the season with their momentum shattered. Tonight was another missed opportunity in a season full of them.
WKU finishes the regular season at a disappointing 18–13. A season with so much hope now can only be salvaged with a conference tournament championship. The Tops have a week off before their first game next Thursday (the bracket will be announced Saturday night). All can be forgotten with a classic run but tonight’s effort proved the habitual doubts about this team are warranted.
Here are your final stats from tonight's disappointing overtime loss.
