WKU Women’s Basketball kept their undefeated season alive Sunday with a 74-69 win against North Dakota in Diddle Arena. 

The Lady Toppers improved to 5-0 for the first time since Greg Collins became head coach of the program in 2018.

Guard Acacia Hayes led the way with 21 points and senior Alexis Mead had 14 points of her own. It was a team effort, with four Lady Toppers scoring in double digits. 

FIRST HALF 

The Lady Toppers were red hot to start the game, leading 24-14 at the end of the first quarter. Guard Alexis Mead led the way with eight points, and guard Acacia Hayes chipped in six points to set the tone early. 

The Hawks fought back in the second quarter, taking the lead by a score of 34-31. It was a dreadful quarter for the Lady Toppers, scoring only seven points. Guard Mackenzie Chatfield led the way with five points. 

SECOND HALF

The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with several lead changes. The Lady Toppers took the lead back late, taking a close 51-49 decision entering the fourth quarter. Acacia Hayes took over with seven points and Destiny Salary added five more to complete the solid quarter.

The Lady Toppers started hot for the fourth quarter, led by contributions from Acacia Hayes and Destiny Salary with six points each. The consistency between these two guards led the Lady Toppers to another victory, taking the game with free throws from Hayes in the clutch. 

Head Coach Greg Collins was proud of the fight of the Lady Toppers after trailing entering halftime. 

“We had a ten-point lead and made some mistakes, and they got back in the game. We had to fight our way back the rest of the way, but I was proud of the resiliency of the team,” Collins said. “I’m proud of how we just kept fighting and they kept believing.”

The Lady Toppers look to stay unbeaten in Diddle Arena when they host Tennessee State on Wednesday, Nov. 27, at 4 p.m. 

Sports Reporter Austin Rice can be reached at [email protected]