WKU (3-2) BOUNCES JACKSON STATE 79-62
by Cole McIntire, Sports Director, The Extra Point
(BOWLING GREEN, Ky.) – WKU Men’s Basketball defeated Jackson State 79-62 on Wednesday night in Diddle Arena to improve to 3-2 on the season. Khristian Lander led the Hilltoppers with 15 points, hitting 4-of-5 from deep.
The game opened with WKU quickly jumping to a 9-0 lead, fueled by Tyrone Marshall Jr.’s two early three-pointers. Jackson State struggled to score, not registering a basket until the 6:46 mark. WKU capitalized, extending their lead to 18-4 with multiple steals and defensive stops. Babacar Faye and Braxton Bayless helped push the lead to 23-11, and a late three from Julius Thedford gave the Hilltoppers a 40-23 advantage. WKU headed into the break leading 40-28.
In the second half, WKU continued to dominate. Faye found Lander for a three, pushing the lead to 52-36, and Thedford made back-to-back plays to extend the lead further. Jackson State cut the margin to 58-39 after a triple, but WKU responded with a 6-0 run to regain control. Lander hit another three, bringing the score to 72-49 with 5:21 left. A dunk from Thedford sealed the win, and the Hilltoppers finished strong, securing a 79-62 victory.
“I hope that we’ve gotten better in these last two games, but most importantly, they’re two early-season wins against teams that will be pretty solid in their respective leagues,” head coach Hank Plona said. “I was happy to see a lot of different guys contribute tonight, get their feet under them and build some confidence.”
WKU shot an impressive 45.2% from three, hitting 14-of-31 attempts. They also forced Jackson State into 19 turnovers, recording 13 steals. McHenry added 12 points, five steals, and five rebounds. Thedford scored 12 points and contributed two steals and two assists.
The Hilltoppers are now 3-0 all-time against Jackson State. Next, WKU will face Kentucky on Tuesday, Nov. 26, in the BBN Invitational.
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