After being off for more than a week for fall semester final exams, WKU will return to the court at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon as the Lady Toppers make the quick trek to Carbondale, Ill., to square off against Southern Illinois.
In its last time out, WKU powered to a 92-54 victory over Evansville on Nov. 30. Four different Lady Toppers scored in double figures, and both Ivy Brown (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Raneem Elgedawy (19 points, 10 rebounds) recorded double-double efforts. Freshman Sherry Porter turned in a career-best 16 points, and Tashia Brown notched her fifth 20-point game of the season, scoring 20 against the Purple Aces.
Tashia Brown (21.9 points per game) continues to lead all C-USA players in scoring, and Ivy Brown has notched three consecutive double-doubles for the Lady Toppers.
Southern Illinois (5-3) carries a two-game winning streak into Sunday’s clash and has earned road wins over Memphis and Marshall this season. Kylie Giebelhausen leads the Salukis at 13.9 points per game, while Nicole Martin has pulled down a team-best 7.8 rebounds per outing. Brittney Patrick and Kristen Nelson have each dished out 26 assists to lead SIU.
WKU will face a quick turnaround after Sunday’s game, heading back to E.A. Diddle Arena to battle SWAC foe Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday evening at 5:30 p.m.
GAME #8 – WKU AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
WKU (4-3, 0-0 C-USA) at Southern Illinois (5-3, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
December 10, 2017 | 2:00 p.m. (CT)
Carbondale, Ill. | SIU Arena (8,284)
QUICK SHOTS
– With three consecutive double-doubles, Ivy Brown has become just the 12th player in program history to record 20 career points-rebounds double-doubles and now has 21 for her career. In addition to her three straight double-doubles, Brown has also notched double-digit rebounds in four straight games.
– Tashia Brown leads C-USA and ranks 18th in the nation with her 21.9 points per game. At the GSU Thanksgiving Classic, Brown averaged 14.5 points in the second half alone and scored 20 of her 27 points against Georgia State in the second half.
– Already 14th in program history with 1,484 career points, Tashia Brown is looking to move even further up the charts during her senior season. To move into the top 10 in school history, Brown would need to score 279 more points during her final season on The Hill.
– WKU is currently shooting 107-of-138 (.775) from the free throw line this season, with only three players shooting below 80 percent among those who have attempted at least one free throw. The Lady Toppers’ 107 made free throws are the fourth-most among C-USA teams, and their 77.5 percent success rate tops the 14-member league.
– With three weekly awards (Tashia Brown’s Player of the Week on Nov. 13 and Raneem Elgedawy’s Freshman of the Week on Nov. 20 and Dec. 4) this season, WKU has already exceeded its total from the entire 2016-17 campaign.
– With its come-from-behind win at Georgia State, WKU continued a strong trend under Michelle Clark-Heard of being able to rally from large deficits. Since the beginning of the 2015-16 season, WKU owns 11 victories when trailing at the halftime break and four wins when down with five minutes to play in regulation.
– With a win on Sunday afternoon, WKU would continue an impressive run under Michelle Clark-Heard in games played prior to January 1. The Lady Toppers are 53-16 (.768) in such games since the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign.
– WKU has been very strong at collecting its own misses this season and has tallied nearly as many offensive rebounds as those on the defensive end. The Lady Toppers have pulled down a league-leading 16.3 offensive boards per game, and Ivy Brown ranks second among all C-USA players with 4.1 offensive rebounds per game.
– WKU has started a true freshman at least five times in each of the last four seasons. Tashia Brown earned five starts in 2014-15, Kayla Smith drew 31 starts in 2015-16, Sarah Price appeared in the starting lineup five times in 2016-17 and Raneem Elgedawy has started WKU’s first seven games this season.
– WKU owns an impressive record under Clark-Heard when breaking the 80-point barrier. The Lady Toppers have posted a near-perfect 49-2 mark when scoring 80 or more since the 2012-13 season.
– Through seven games, Ivy Brown is approaching the top 10 in program history in total rebounds, needing just 94 more boards to break into that group. The Hodgenville, Ky., native also ranks ninth in school history with 109 blocks and her 79.8 percent mark from the free throw line for her career is sixth among all Lady Toppers who have made at least 200 free throws.
BROADCAST
Listen: 102.7 FM and 1450AM in Bowling Green (Jevin Redman, pxp)
Watch: ESPN3 (Online Stream)
Live Stats: SIUSalukis.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 Athletic Communications
