Eli Randolph

Head coach Greg Collins before WKU’s game against La Tech on Wednesday, Feb. 7. WKU won 64-56 giving Collins his 100 career win.

WKU women’s basketball will look to make it two wins in a row on Saturday, as they host Jacksonville State at Diddle arena. 

Seven games remain as the Lady Toppers look to steal first place in the conference standings.  The team stands at 14-10 (5-4 CUSA) which is good for third place after a Liberty loss. Second place FIU also dropped their first game in conference play, making the comeback to the top even more probable. 

The Gamecocks stand at fifth place in the conference.  This game will be an opportunity for them to avenge their first-ever meeting with the Lady Toppers after losing 62-52.  The Gamecocks come in on a three-game winning streak, holding two conference opponents under 60 points during that stretch.   

The success for them comes on the defensive side, where the Gamecocks hold teams to 62.6 points per game, which is the second-lowest allowed in the conference.  The team forces 6.5 steals per game and 15.1 turnovers per game.  Junior forward Bre’Anna Rhodes leads the teams in points and rebounds with 8.2 and 4.9 rebounds per game. 

WKU is coming off a much-needed win versus LA Tech, where they rallied to win 64-56.  Despite being without their top scorers, guards Acacia Hayes and Destiny Salary, the team returned from a 19-point first-half deficit to win.  Salary will be back for this game while Hayes is out indefinitely with a knee injury.  In their absence, junior guard Alexis Mead scored 20 points.  She also had eight rebounds, seven assists, and five steals. 

The Lady Toppers defeated LA Tech with excellent defense, especially in the second half, forcing 21 turnovers.  They were very efficient on offense despite little success from beyond the arc, shooting 41.1% from the field, only fouling seven times, and only committing 12 total turnovers.   

The game will be on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m.  It can be watched on ESPN +