WKU Men’s Basketball’s offensive struggles led to a 73-58 road loss to the Sam Houston State Bearkats Saturday afternoon.
With the loss, the Hilltoppers dropped their third straight game, falling to 11-9 (4-5 CUSA).
The Hilltoppers were short-handed, without the guard duo of redshirt sophomore Teagan Moore and freshman Armelo Boone. Moore is sidelined with concussion-like symptoms, and Boone was ruled out with an ankle sprain.
Without their two leading scorers, the Hilltoppers looked for others to step up. Junior guard LJ Hackman led WKU with 14 points, and graduate forward Leeroy Odiahi poured in a career high 10 points.
The Hilltoppers’ offense struggled in the first half, shooting just 21.7% from the floor. The defensive pressure from the Bearkats overwhelmed WKU, forcing 14 turnovers in the first half, resulting in 14 points for Sam Houston.
The second half was much the same for the Hilltoppers, finishing the night shooting 37% from the floor and committing 19 turnovers.
Sam Houston took advantage of the short-handed Hilltoppers, jumping out to a 23-10 lead in the first half. The Bearkats shot 41% in the first half, leading 38-21 at halftime.
WKU could not stop the Bearkat offense in the second half, as Sam Houston shot 60% from the floor. Senior guard Po’Boigh King caused problems for the Hilltoppers, finishing the game with a season-high 27 points.
The Hilltoppers will continue their three-game road stretch, traveling to Georgia to take on the Kennesaw State Owls on Wednesday night.
