WKU took care of the Seattle Redhawks Tuesday at E.A. Diddle Arena 86-73.
Despite a shaky start, WKU took the lead eight minutes into the game and never let go. The Hilltoppers shot 59% from the field and 60% from three.
Freshman Julius Thedford had a great bounce-back game following a rough showing against Murray State, scoring 15 points. Senior guard Don McHenry stole the show, however, scoring 28 while shooting 80% from three.
“When you have 28 points on 12 field goal attempts, that’s pretty efficient,” WKU Head Coach Hank Plona said. “Obviously shot the ball extremely well.”
The Hilltopper defense struggled in the second half giving up 41 points, but Seattle couldn’t take advantage enough to win, shooting 33% from the field and 37% from three.
“When they were trailing for most of the game they put their heads down and attacked the paint, gave us some problems,” Plona said. “We held them to a pretty low percentage shooting the ball.”
First Half
At the first media timeout, WKU trailed 8-5 as they struggled to make shots. The Hilltoppers were 2-8 on field goals and 1-4 from beyond the three-point line.
The Hilltoppers brought a 6-0 run into the second media timeout fueled by a McHenry three and Thedford dunk to take a 12-10 lead over Seattle.
WKU went on a 7-0 run, which was ended by a Vasja Pandža three right before the third media timeout. The Hilltoppers remained ahead, leading 24-17 with seven minutes left. McHenry and Enoch Kalambay led WKU with seven and nine points, respectively.
WKU only allowed five points between the last two media timeouts while scoring 12 to take a 36-22 lead with Bayless, Thedford, Kalambay, and Marshall each scoring a three.
WKU brought a 38-32 lead into the half shooting 66% from three and 52% from the field. Kalambay lead the Hilltoppers with 10 points trailed by McHenry and Thedford with nine.
Despite 25 rebounds, the Redhawks couldn’t get into a rhythm in the first half, shooting only 33% from the field and just 11% from three.
Second Half
WKU took a 46-41 lead into the first media timeout of the half. The Hilltoppers scored eight, four of which came from Thedford, but allowed nine, six of which came from Maleek Arington, with Seattle refusing to let go.
The Hilltoppers scored 14 to the Redhawks five to pull ahead 60-46. The Redhawks took a timeout to end McHenry’s incredible 12-0 solo run to push his total to 23.
WKU brought a 68-55 lead into the following media timeout with eight minutes remaining.
With 5:34 to go the Redhawks cut the lead to 72-64. The Hilltoppers were been unable to put the game away with their largest lead being 16.
McHenry hit a three to open the lead back up to nine, 79-70, going into the last media timeout. WKU held on to win the game 86-73.
Sports Reporter Nathan Mueller can be reached at [email protected].
