Tashia Brown extended her 20-point scoring streak to six straight games with a game-high 24 points and WKU held on for a 66-58 victory over Stetson in the opening game of the 2017 West Palm Beach Invitational inside the Countess de Hoernle Student Life Center on Saturday afternoon.
With her sixth consecutive 20-point game, Tashia Brown became the first Lady Topper to accomplish that feat since the program’s all-time leading scorer, Crystal Kelly, also did so during the 2007-08 campaign. Brown was joined in double figures by Raneem Elgedawy (13), Ivy Brown (12) and Whitney Creech (10).
Both Elgedawy and Ivy Brown also tallied double-doubles with 10 and 12 rebounds, respectively. Brown now has a double-double in five of her last six games, while Elgedawy hit the mark for the second time this season for the Lady Toppers (7-3), who captured their sixth straight win.
Kennedi Colclough and Brittney Chambers led the Hatters (6-6) with 16 points apiece, and Shania Meertens rounded out the trio in double figures with 12 points. Meertens also chipped in six rebounds and six assists on the afternoon.
Following an early three-pointer from Ivy Brown, Stetson jumped out to a four-point lead on two occasions in the opening quarter, but each time WKU was able to erase the deficit. Trailing 9-5 midway through the quarter, the Lady Toppers fired off six straight points to go back out in front on Creech’s jumper with 3:06 to play in the frame.
Six more unanswered points from the Lady Toppers spanning into the second quarter gave them their largest lead of the day to that point. Elgedawy tallied five of the six points during the stretch for WKU, including a jumper to cap the run with a 17-10 advantage.
Another long run, this time by the Hatters, put Stetson out in front with four minutes to go before the halftime break. Colclough keyed the stretch with a pair of jumpers, and Meertens’ pullup left WKU facing an 18-17 deficit.
WKU managed to retake the lead with a few seconds remaining in the half, giving the Lady Toppers a 24-23 edge heading into the locker room.
Coming out of halftime, Stetson surged back in front with five straight points. Chambers knocked down a triple on the Hatters’ second possession of the quarter, and Colclough’s layup with nine minutes on the clock gave Stetson a 28-24 lead.
Over the next five minutes, WKU used the strength of an 11-4 run to erase the deficit. Four different Lady Toppers scored during the run, including a pair of pullup jumpers from Creech, and a fast-break layup by Tashia Brown reestablished a 35-32 lead for the Lady Toppers at the 4:41 mark.
WKU’s lead grew to as many as seven points before the end of the third quarter, and the Lady Toppers took a 46-39 edge into the final 10 minutes.
During the fourth quarter, Stetson closed within four points three times, but the Lady Toppers refused to allow them any closer than that. WKU’s final six points came from the charity stripe as the Lady Toppers held off the Hatters down the stretch for the 66-58 win.
WKU will round out its play in the 2017 West Palm Beach Invitational tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. (CT) against Toledo. The Lady Toppers and Rockets have met just one other time in program history, a 77-63 WKU victory in the NCAA Tournament on March 17, 1995. Following tomorrow’s matchup, WKU will then have one more game before the holiday break, taking on currently undefeated Ball State in Muncie, Ind., at 6 p.m. (CT) on Thursday evening.
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.
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Currie P. McFayden
WKU Associate Director of Athletic Communications
Women’s Basketball | Women’s Soccer
