Ivy Brown matched a program record with 16 points in the third quarter and both she and Tashia Brown finished with a game-high 20 points as WKU returned from its exam break with a 75-49 victory over Southern Illinois inside SIU Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Ivy Brown and Tashia Brown each finished with 20 points for the Lady Toppers (5-3) to lead all scorers, giving WKU at least one 20-point scorer in seven of its first eight games this season. Ivy Brown tallied 16 of her 20 points in the third quarter, knocking down four three-pointers without a miss, en route to matching the program record for points by one player in a single quarter.
As a team, WKU connected on 26 of its 58 shots (44.8 percent) on the afternoon, including a 14-of-23 (60.9 percent) mark in the second half alone. The Lady Toppers’ perimeter defense shined throughout the afternoon, holding the Salukis without a three-pointer in the second half and only 3-of-20 (15 percent) for the entire game.
Kylie Giebelhausen was the lone Southern Illinois player in double figures, finishing with 10 points on the day.
WKU built an early 4-0 lead off quick jumpers from Tashia Brown and Sherry Porter, but the Salukis quickly trimmed that lead to just one point on a triple from Giebelhausen. From that point, neither team was able to gain more than three points of separation for the next six minutes as the two sides remained locked in a one-possession battle.
Sidnee Bopp finally gave the Lady Toppers a two-possession edge with her first three-pointer of the night at the 1:30 mark, and WKU carried that slight lead through the end of the first frame.
Led by four points from Ivy Brown, WKU finally found a breakthrough over the first three minutes of the second quarter, opening its first double-digit lead of the afternoon on the strength of a 10-3 run. Brown keyed the stretch with a corner three-pointer and was one of four Lady Toppers to find the basket during the run that gave WKU a 31-19 lead.
Southern Illinois fired back with seven unanswered points over the next three minutes to cut WKU’s lead to just five points, but the Salukis were unable to close the gap any further as WKU carried a 38-30 lead into the locker room for halftime.
Ivy Brown sparked WKU’s 16-1 run early in the third quarter, knocking down three triples on three straight possessions for the Lady Toppers to stretch the advantage to 54-31. Brown would go on to knock down another shot from beyond the arc and two layups in the quarter to reach her program-record total of 16 points in the 10-minute frame.
Over the final quarter, WKU did not allow the Salukis to close the gap under 20 points as the Lady Toppers coasted to the 75-49 victory.
WKU will face a quick turnaround as the Lady Toppers head back to Bowling Green, welcoming Mississippi Valley State into E.A. Diddle Arena at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Toppers and Devilettes have never met on the hardwood, but WKU holds a 2-0 mark against SWAC foes under Michelle Clark-Heard with a pair of victories over Alabama A&M in 2014-15 and 2016-17.
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
