Fresh off a perfect 3-0 homestand in C-USA play, WKU will return to the road on Thursday evening, traveling to the Don Haskins Center to take on UTEP at 8:05 p.m. (CT), its first of two Texas road games this week.
The Lady Toppers and Miners have faced each other just three times in program history, and the two sides have split the pair of meetings since both have been members of C-USA. WKU earned an 80-74 victory in El Paso two seasons ago, but fell, 85-78, against UTEP inside E.A. Diddle Arena in the most recent meeting last year.
In WKU’s last time out, the Lady Toppers led for all but three minutes against Marshall inside Diddle Arena last Saturday afternoon, claiming a 73-57 win to move to 10-1 on their home court this season. Ivy Brown led all scorers with 22 points, Tashia Brown had 20 and Kendall Noble added 17 as the trio combined for 59 of WKU’s 73 points.
UTEP has just one player in double figures in Sparkle Taylor, who averages 16.4 points per game. Tamara Seda is just shy of averaging a double-double with 9.2 points and 10.2 rebounds, while Lulu McKinney has dished out a team-best 90 assists on the 2016-17 campaign.
Following Thursday’s game, WKU will wrap up its Texas swing at UTSA on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. (CT). The Lady Toppers own a 1-1 all-time record against the Roadrunners.
GAME #20 – WKU AT UTEP
WKU (14-5, 6-1 C-USA) at UTEP (5-13, 2-4 C-USA)
January 26, 2017 | 8:05 p.m. (CT)
El Paso, Texas | Don Haskins Center (12,000)
WKU Game Notes
QUICK SHOTS
– Defending C-USA Player of the Year Kendall Noble is currently the only Division I player in the nation averaging at least 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game for the season.
– Noble has also either scored or assisted on 34.5 percent of WKU’s points this season, a number that increases even further to 42.6 percent when only C-USA games are considered.
– WKU owns an 11-2 record this season when holding opponents below 70 points and have accomplished the feat in seven of their last eight games. When scoring 70 or more points themselves, WKU holds a 10-1 record in 2016-17.
– Under Michelle Clark-Heard, WKU has trailed by double digits in 40 games and has rallied to win 17 times (42.5 percent of the time) when facing a double-digit deficit. Six of those victories have come in the last two seasons alone, including wins this season after trailing by 14 (Kent State) and 13 (UAB).
– Micah Jones leads all C-USA players and ranks 10th among all Division I players with a 3.04 assist-to-turnover ratio this season. Jones has dished out 76 assists to just 25 turnovers and now ranks ninth on WKU’s career charts in the category with 381 assists.
– As a team, WKU is currently 14th in the nation with just 12.4 turnovers per game, a number that also leads C-USA for fewest among the league’s teams.
– WKU is shooting 274-of-352 (77.8 percent) from the free throw line this season, an improvement of nine percent from the 2015-16 season. Currently, WKU ranks 15th among all Division I teams in free-throw percentage this season.
– WKU owns C-USA’s top-scoring offense through 19 games, averaging 75.9 points per outing. The Lady Toppers have scored 80 or more points eight times this season and have reached 90 points three times.
– Through 19 games, the Lady Toppers have knocked down the fourth-most three-pointers in C-USA with 127. WKU has connected on seven or more three-pointers in 10 different games this season and holds a near-perfect 8-2 record when hitting that mark.
– Redshirt senior Kendall Noble has been named one of 30 candidates for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award, joining Alexis Govan as Lady Toppers who have received the honor under Michelle Clark-Heard.
– This season, Noble has become the only player in Lady Topper Basketball history to reach 1,500 points, 750 rebounds and 500 assists for her career and is on pace to finish in the top 10 in all five major statistical categories in the WKU record book.
– WKU broke the NCAA women’s basketball record for fewest points allowed in a half by holding Lipscomb to just two first-half points on Dec. 15. The mark was also the fewest in men’s basketball since the introduction of the shot clock. In addition, WKU had six players reach double figures for the first time since Jan. 21, 2009, in the victory, a stretch of nearly eight years.
– Already eighth in school history with 163 three-pointers, Micah Jones needs just one more to pass Renee Westmoreland (1990-93) for seventh place on the charts.
BROADCAST
Listen: 102.7 FM, 1450AM in Bowling Green (Barry Williams, pxp)
Watch: beIN Sports / UTEP Athletics (Live Stream)
Live Stats: UTEPAthletics.com
How to Follow the Lady Toppers: For complete information on WKU Lady Topper Basketball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @LadyTopperHoops on Twitter, @LadyTopperHoops on Instagram and on Facebook at facebook.com/WKUWomensBasketball.
– @WKUSports –
Currie P. McFayden
WKU Associate Director of Media Relations