Two free throws from sophomore guard Teagan Moore made the difference for WKU Men’s Basketball in an 82-80 win over Middle Tennessee in the “100 Miles of Hate” rivalry.
Moore returned from a five-game absence with a vengeance, scoring 28 points, with 16 coming in the second half. Senior forward Grant Newell had a dominant first half, scoring 16 points on a scorching 75% from the field. Newell ended the night with 20 points and seven rebounds.
“(Teagan) has had a couple of concussions in the past, and trust me, he’s doing everything he can to put on that WKU uniform and help us win the game,” Head Coach Hank Plona said. “We certainly don’t win that one tonight if he doesn’t play.”
Junior guard LJ Hackman put together a solid complementary performance, totaling 14 points and five rebounds. The performance marked the seventh time Hackman has scored in double figures this season.
The Hilltoppers were stellar at the free-throw line, shooting 88% and totaling 28 points, with Moore knocking down two straight to take an 82-80 lead with three seconds left.
“The guys that are good at free throws have to be really mentally at peace,” Plona said. “I think LJ, Ryan, and Teagan, those guys have been great all year.”
The Hilltoppers struggled early in the first half, turning the ball over six times, finding themselves in a 14-10 hole. WKU would turn the ball over just once for the remainder of the half, finding its offensive form.
A 50% shooting mark from the field carried the team to a 43-37 halftime lead. The Hilltopper defense was in full force, holding the Blue Raiders to just 27% shooting in the first half.
The Hilltoppers started strong in the second, building a 14-point lead. MTSU responded with a 28-11 scoring run that spanned seven minutes. The Hilltoppers responded with a scoring drought that lasted six minutes, trailing by four with just over three minutes remaining.
The Hilltopper defense stepped up again, with the Blue Raiders scoring just four points in the final minutes as WKU won its second straight game, sweeping MTSU this season.
A season-high crowd of 4,023 saw the Hilltoppers finish a series sweep of the Blue Raiders for the first time since the 2023-24 NCAA tournament season.
“(The crowd) definitely boosted us, especially at the end of the game,” Moore said. “When an opposing team comes in here and has a run like that in the second half, it’s very important for the crowd to give us a boost.”
Next up for the Hilltoppers is a trip to Newark to take on the Delaware Blue Hens. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT.
