Western Kentucky (12-3, 1-0 C-USA) is scheduled to resume conference play on Wednesday night in Huntsville, TX. as the Hilltoppers face off against Sam Houston State (8-8, 1-0 C-USA) at Bernard G. Coliseum.
Wednesday night's matchup will mark the first-ever meeting between the Hilltoppers and the Bearkats as both programs are looking to stay undefeated in Conference USA play after winning their conference openers last weekend.
Western Kentucky is coming off a close 70-68 victory over Liberty this past Saturday evening as the Hilltoppers shot 46.3% (25-54) from the floor, 38.9% (7-18) from beyond the arc and 61.9% (13-21) from the free throw line in two frames of play.
The Hilltoppers additionally won the rebounding battle against the Flames, outrebounding their opponent 40-39 by the final buzzer.
In addition to earning their 12th overall and eighth-straight victory last weekend, the Hilltoppers claimed the first place spot in the Conference USA standings with the win over the Flames at E.A. Diddle Arena.
WKU junior guard Don McHenry was unstoppable once again, leading the Hilltoppers on the scoreboard with 18 points, three rebounds, three assists and one block.
Another Hilltopper to establish himself last Saturday was WKU redshirt senior guard Dontaie Allen, who picked up a grand total of 13 points, four rebounds and one steal.
WKU fifth year forward Rodney Howard was also explosive for the Hilltoppers in last weekend's conference opener against Liberty, collecting a grand total of 11 points, nine rebounds and one assist.
Also establishing himself in front of the home fans was WKU redshirt senior guard Brandon Newman, who had another solid performance with 11 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Sam Houston State also prevailed in their Conference USA opener last Saturday, defeating Louisiana Tech 81-77 in Huntsville. The Bearkats shot 43.8% (28-64) from the field, 42.9% (9-21) from three-point range and 80.0% (16-20) from the free throw line in the victory.
Despite falling behind in the second frame, the Bulldogs managed to win the rebounding battle against the Bearkats, outrebounding their foe 43-33 on the evening.
SHS junior guard Lamar Wilkerson led the Bearkats on the scoreboard, picking up a grand total of 24 points, three rebounds, five assists and one block.
Another player to make his presence known last weekend was SHS junior guard Davon Barnes, who dropped 15 points, three rebounds, four assists and one steal.
SHS junior guard Marcus Boykins was another gamechanger for the Bearkats, collecting 11 points, one rebound, four assists and two steals on the night.
Sam Houston State also benefitted from senior guard Jaden Ray as well as senior forward Souleymane Doumbia, who recorded a combined total of 14 points. Ray also collected two assists and one steal while Doumbia added four rebounds, one block and one steal.
The Hilltoppers are set to travel to Huntsville on Wednesday to take on Sam Houston State at 6:30 p.m. CT at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum. The matchup is scheduled to be televised on ESPN+.
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