‘Togetherness’ Defines Lady Topper’s Win Over Rival MTSU

by Ryan Murphy, Extra Point Sports Director, Western Kentucky University

(BOWLING GREEN, Ky.) – 715 days. That’s how far you need to look back to find when Middle Tennessee State University lost a game in Conference USA play. Enter Greg Collins and his deep roster of WKU Lady Toppers.

“I think you have to play together,” said Lady Topper Associate Head Coach Todd Buchanan after WKU’s 63-58 win over Conference USA’s #1 ranked MTSU.

WKU showed their depth down the stretch, but the early portions of the game proved troublesome.

MTSU would open the contest with an 8-0 scoring run and out-rebounding WKU 10-0 in the opening three minutes. A timeout by WKU Head Coach Greg Collins stalled the Blue Raiders offense and leveled out scoring for the rest of the quarter (11-10 in favor of Middle Tennessee).

The run until halftime showed much of the same, but MTSU held on to a steady 34-25 lead. Luckily for WKU, games are won in the second half.

“Everything changed,” Buchanan said on the shift of momentum from the 1st to 2nd half. “The thing that really made the difference is the points that we scored off our turnovers.”

The Lady Toppers scored 21 points off turnovers by game’s end, and the third quarter proved the difference maker when WKU outscored their rival 20-9.

The confidence after the win shined when Josie Gilvin and Caleigh-Rose West stepped in the media room.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” said Gilvin with a huge smile inside the Paul Just Media Center. “Roll the questions.”

Gilvin had plenty to celebrate having led the team with 17-points alongside six boards and five steals, but it was the points off the bench that showed WKU’s true strength.

“There was no other option than coming out with the dub [for us],” said Caleigh-Rose West, who finished with a career high 10-points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting. “Coach has mainly been preaching being relentless.”