Despite a redemptive third quarter, WKU Women’s Basketball fell just short to Liberty in a 55-53 nailbiter Thursday night in Diddle Arena.

Down 10 entering the second half, the Lady Toppers prevented the Lady Flames from scoring during the first six minutes of the third quarter. WKU turned its defensive momentum into offensive rhythm, scoring 8 points in those six minutes and outscoring Liberty 13-3 in the quarter. 

An intense fourth quarter saw back-and-forth scoring and multiple lead changes. WKU led 53-52 with a minute left, but Liberty’s sophomore guard Avery Mills danced through WKU’s high-pressure defense and scored a 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining. The Lady Toppers failed to retake the lead despite multiple scoring opportunities, ending the night in a two-point loss.

“Liberty adjusted to what we were doing defensively, and I just wasn’t comfortable changing and taking a chance on Avery Mills getting free,” Head Coach Greg Collins said. “She got free on that last play. She ran off two screens.”

The first quarter included tight competition and several lead changes until Liberty used an 8-0 run to go up 17-10. Neither team managed more than a 4-point streak in the second quarter, but the Lady Flames pushed their lead to 33-23 at halftime.

Sophomore guard Salma Khedr led the Lady Toppers in scoring with 18, 16 of which she collected in the second half. This marks her fourth conference game with at least 15 points. Senior forward Zsofia Telegdy joined Khedr in double figures, recording a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

“We had more space. We had more open drives. We were not forcing the layups or the shots, so that was a lot easier for me to go and (do) what I did,” Khedr said of her and her team’s second-half performance.

The loss drops WKU to 5-13 overall and 1-6 in Conference USA. The Lady Toppers have managed just two wins in their last 11 games.

WKU quickly returns to Diddle Arena Friday night to face the Delaware Blue Hens.