12/29/2023 basketball Edit

WKU to close non-conference play against Abilene Christian

WKU junior guard Don McHenry during the Austin Peay game. (Steve Roberts/WKU Athletics)

Drew Toennies • InsideHilltopperSports

Staff Writer

Western Kentucky (10-3) is set to close out non-conference competition on Saturday afternoon, welcoming Abilene Christian (5-7) to E.A. Diddle Arena for the Hilltoppers' final contest of 2023.

Saturday's meeting between the Hilltoppers and the Wildcats will mark the third-ever matchup between the two programs as Western Kentucky holds a 2-0 all-time advantage in the series.

The Hilltoppers and the Wildcats first met on Dec. 3, 1960 as WKU picked up a 59-54 home win. Western Kentucky also played Abilene Christian on Dec. 14, 1965 as the Hilltoppers collected an 84-59 victory in Bowling Green.

Western Kentucky recently picked up their 10th victory of the season in a road matchup with Cal Baptist as the Hilltoppers defeated the Lancers in a 73-70 thriller.

Western Kentucky shot 41.3% (26-63) from the floor, 44.4% (8-18) from beyond the arc and 65.0% (13-20) from the free throw line in two frames of play.

WKU redshirt senior guard Dontaie Allen was highly explosive for the Hilltoppers, leading the team with 17 points, four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.

Another Hilltopper to play a crucial role in the win was WKU junior guard Don McHenry, who dropped 14 points, three rebounds and four assists.

WKU junior forward Babacar Faye and senior forward Tyrone Marshall Jr. also made their presence known, collecting nine points each. Faye also picked up five rebounds and two assists while Marshall earned four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.

Abilene Christian was unable to prevail in their last matchup on Thursday, Dec. 21st, suffering an 83-73 loss to Arkansas on the road.

The Wildcats shot 38.9% (28-72) from the field, 25.0% (4-16) from three-point range and 65.0% (13-20) from the free throw line in two frames of competition.

ACU junior guard Ali Abdou Dibba led the Wildcats on the scoreboard, picking up a total of 18 points, one rebound and one steal.

Another player to make a difference was ACU junior guard Kavion McClain, who dropped 10 points, one rebound, five assists and one block.

ACU senior guard Hunter Jack Madden was another player on the Wildcats' roster to make his presence known, collecting eight points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Western Kentucky is set to tipoff their final non-conference showdown with Abilene Christian in Bowling Green at 2 p.m. CT. The contest is set to air on ESPN+.

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