WKU Men’s Basketball continued to dominate in the “Battle of the Bluegrass,” taking down Eastern Kentucky 87-79 for its seventh straight win in the rivalry.
It was a thrilling close game throughout, with neither team leading by more than five until the final few minutes. The Hilltoppers once again made the clutch plays when it mattered to get to 2-0 on the season.
The road win paints a clearer picture of the season’s outlook, as a floor for this team has been established: they’re a solid team that can win difficult games.
What’s Good?
To quote Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James, “I’m like a superhero, call me Basketball man.” He actually was talking about Teagan Moore.
Moore put on the cape at EKU, totaling 22 points and six rebounds while making key plays down the stretch of the game, including a putback that gave the Hilltoppers a 74-72 lead. WKU wouldn’t trail for the remainder of the game.
“He’s (Moore) a special player,” Head Coach Hank Plona said. “He can affect the game in a lot of different ways and plays with the intent to win at all times.”
For the second straight game, the Hilltopper defense stepped up in clutch time, holding the Colonels to seven points in the final three minutes of play. The Hilltoppers were aggressive on defense, forcing 14 turnovers and 11 steals.
The Hilltopper offense took care of the ball, turning it over only three times, their lowest total of the season.
The Colonel offense was uniquely geared to cause some problems for the Hilltoppers, pushing the pace and capitalizing on great defense for leverage in transition.
The Hilltoppers overcame; this key component of their offense mute, dominating in transition all night by outscoring the Colonels 27-3 in fast-break points. Transition scoring was a struggle against Tennessee Tech, where the Tops were outscored 6-4 in fast-break points.
The Hilltoppers also gained a massive boost from an Armelo Boone poster dunk on a fast break. The jam gave the Tops a 72-69 lead with just over three minutes remaining.
“That was a good win, we haven’t played in an environment like this before,” Boone said.
What needs to improve?
Three-point shooting continues to be an issue for the Hilltoppers, shooting just 5-23 against the Colonels. The 22% shooting mark is the fourth straight game with sub-25% shooting from beyond the arc.
Grant Newell struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 2-9 from the field. The Hilltoppers also struggled from the stripe, shooting just 64% on free throws.
Plona made an interesting decision to play twelve players throughout the game, citing a deep roster. The decision to play twelve players has worked, but the team has been outscored in the few minutes the deep rotation guys have played.
The number of players Plona constantly has in the rotation is something to watch for the rest of the season.
What’s the outlook?
With the win, the Hilltoppers have proven this season to be a formidable team with high ambitions. A 2-0 start with a difficult road win has the Tops in good shape early in the season.
With a manageable non-conference schedule ahead, the Hilltoppers are set up for success this season to stack some wins before conference play begins.
