12/16/2023 basketball Edit

Western Kentucky escapes Austin Peay in 65-64 thriller

Drew Toennies • InsideHilltopperSports

Staff Writer

In a chaotic final minute of regulation, Western Kentucky (9-3) used strong defense to hold off Austin Peay (6-7) on Saturday afternoon as the Hilltoppers picked up their fifth-consecutive win in a 65-64 thriller at E.A. Diddle Arena.

In addition to the Hilltoppers picking up their ninth win of the Steve Lutz era, Western Kentucky earned their 12th straight victory over the Governors in program history. The Hilltoppers hold a 44-14 lead over APSU in the series dating back to the 1941 season.

Lutz said that in those final 12 seconds of regulation, the Tops' had a foul to give as their plan was to lock down Austin Peay defensively so that their top one-on-one player couldn't connect.

"Obviously, we had a foul to give and Austin Peay has got a really, really good team. They've got a really good player one-on-one in Sharp."

— Steve Lutz

Lutz said that this was his fourth time coaching against Sharp as he knew the Governors were going to pass to him down the stretch. Lutz said the plan was to either foul or steal the ball so Sharp couldn't find his rhythm.

"Fortunately, for me, this was my fourth time playing him and I knew they're going to him down the stretch. So our plan was to foul him or go for a steal. At the end of the day, to not let him have his rhythm."

— Steve Lutz

Western Kentucky shot 39.7% (23-58) from the floor, 27.3% (6-22) from beyond the arc and 72.2% (13-18) from the free throw line in two frames of play. The Hilltoppers also won the rebounding battle 38-35 against the Governors.

WKU junior guard Don McHenry was explosive on both sides of the floor for the Hilltoppers once again, leading the team with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.

McHenry said the Hilltoppers are confident going into these tough games due to the wins they have under their belt. He said that the success on the court has given the team the extra boost they need.

"I feel like we're always confident going into the games but with the wins under our belt and we've kinda got it going right now, it just gives us a little bit of extra juice for sure."

— Don McHenry

Also making a significant impact for the Hilltoppers in the win was WKU fifth year forward Rodney Howard, who finished the contest with 12 points, four rebounds and two steals.

Howard said that one of the team's focuses coming out of the locker room was to not give the Governors the opportunities to see their shots fall. Howard added that the team was trying to play strong defense and not foul at the three-point line.

"I'd say just not giving the team the opportunity to see their shots fall in the basket. Like you saw, they started hitting some crazy shots and we got to defend better and not foul at the three-point line."

— Rodney Howard

Austin Peay shot 42.1% (24-57) from the field, 34.8% (8-23) from three-point range and 72.7% (8-11) from the free throw line by the end of the close contest. The Governors outscored the Hilltoppers 36-30 in the second half.

APSU graduate guard Dezi Jones led the Governors on the scoreboard, dropping 16 points, three rebounds, four assists and one block.

Graduate guard Demarcus Sharp also made his presence known for the Governors, collecting 14 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks.

APSU freshman guard Dez White was another player on the Governors' roster that made an impact, recording 12 points, four rebounds and one assist.

The Hilltoppers closed out the first half with a slim 35-28 lead over the Governors. WKU shot 44.8% (13-29) from the field, 28.6% (4-14) from three-point range and 100% (5-5) from the free throw line.

Austin Peay entered the locker room for halftime after shooting 44.4% (12-27) from the floor, 33.3% (3-9) from beyond the arc and 50% (1-2) from the free throw line in the first frame of play.

Western Kentucky is set to continue their non-conference schedule on the road as the Hilltoppers travel to Riverside, CA. to face off against Cal Baptist on Tuesday, Dec. 19th. The opening tip is slated for 9 p.m. CT as the game will air on ESPN+.

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