An offensive showcase from WKU Women’s Basketball made way for an 81-33 win over Kentucky State Wednesday night to open the regular season.

Redshirt sophomore forward Tatum Boettjer could not be contained offensively, scoring a team-leading 18 points, shooting 6-10, in her first start as a Lady Topper. She was unable to play last season due to injury.

“I was excited,” Boettjer said of her performance. “But it’s all thanks to the team here, sticking with me for two years.”

The Lady Toppers started strong and never looked back, going on a 16-0 run to open regulation. WKU matched its offensive intensity on defense, limiting Kentucky State to just six points in the first quarter.

The Lady Toppers frequently looked to their bench, which scored 24 of WKU’s 46 points in the first half. Freshman guard Enni Ahuervo and sophomore guard Salma Khedr came in off the bench in the second quarter, combining for 21 total points.

An 18-2 run put WKU up 46-16 at halftime.

A quiet game for Telegdy saw just five points scored, all of which came from a solo scoring run to open the third quarter. She posted a team-high 12 points in last week’s exhibition game against Lindsey Wilson. 

Senior forward Jeniffer Silva posted the second-highest points among the Lady Toppers, scoring 13 points, shooting 5-7, and grabbing four rebounds.  

“I do think she’s a lot more effective offensively,” Head Coach Greg Collins said of Silva.

The Lady Toppers outscored the Thorobreds 15-10 in the fourth, cementing their 81-33 win to open the regular season.

“We’re not where we need to be, but it’s a little bit more like what we’ve done,” Collins said.

WKU travels to Virginia for its first road test Saturday against Longwood. Tipoff is set for noon and can be streamed on ESPN+.