Texas is just too big. . .
The Lady Toppers traveled to Huntsville, Texas to play Sam Houston, where they lost an overtime thriller to the Bearkats 87-81.
After leading by as much as 18 points, Sam Houston rallied back to force overtime, where they scored 15 points in overtime to escape with a win.
The Lady Toppers now fall to 13-9 (4-3 CUSA) on the season with Liberty right behind them. This is the team’s second loss in a row.
The team shot 47.1% from the field hoisted from a strong third quarter. Junior guard Alexis Mead led the team with 15 points, while junior guard Destiny Salary scored 14 points and added five rebounds. This is the second game where WKU has committed 24 or more fouls in a game
It was an offensive showcase off the tip for WKU, as they jumped off to a 12-1 lead to open the game. The team shot 46.7% from the field in the first quarter. In the second quarter, WKU shot 50% from the field and 66.7% from three-point range. Mead had 10 points at the half with Salary adding seven points. The story of the second quarter was the amped-up defense the Lady Toppers brought. They forced 12 turnovers and held the Bearkats to 28% shooting from the field and 15% shooting from three-point territory.
The third quarter was the same for WKU, shooting 62.5% from the field and scoring 21 points as they maintained their lead. Hayes scored eight points in the quarter. However, things quickly took a turn in the fourth. Sam Houston started scoring. After shooting over 60% from the field last quarter, the Lady Toppers shot only 31.5% in the fourth. They were outscored 27-13 in the quarter, and gave up five costly turnovers, helping the Bearkats force overtime.
The defensive collapse that befell them in the fourth quarter also happened in overtime. The Bearkats knocked down 75% of their three-pointers (3-4), giving them the edge. WKU went 2-5 from three in the period, being outscored 15-9 in the period.
The team will have a short break before traveling to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to play rival Middle Tennessee State on Saturday, Feb. 3rd. The Blue Raiders are undefeated in conference play and sit at 16-4 on the season. The game can be watched on ESPN +
