WKU Basketball: 49ers Stun Tops 72–70 to Open Pod Play
Going into the first game of Conference USA pod play, the WKU Hilltoppers were looking to play for 1st place in the conference. Following the North Texas upset loss earlier Saturday afternoon, they had received that chance on in front of the Bowling Green faithful at Diddle Arena against a hungry Charlotte ball club.
The Tops struggled heavily from the opening tip. The 49ers capitalized from the six straight turnovers off seven possessions as the game opened 8–2 in their favor on the first media timeout at 15:58. Approaching the halfway mark early, the Tops started to find their way back in the ballgame, converting on 4 out of their 5 free throws.
Along with some successful possessions, the score was still 17–14 with the Tops trailing. With 6:55 left into the first half, the Hilltoppers have not made a three-pointer. The presence of the backcourt defense from Charlotte afflicted the Tops as they were never able to gain a lead over the 49ers.
At halftime, the 49ers were leading 33–27. They have scored 26 points in the paint prior to the end of the first half.
With the start of the second half, both ball clubs traded baskets but the lead was still in favor of the 49ers. The Tops were trying to gain momentum to come back in the game but the continuing stellar play of Charlotte kept slowing them down. However, the sudden play of Camron Justice in favor of a foul ridden Jared Savage shifted the energy into tying the game at 54 with 6:54 left to play in the game. The go-ahead three-pointer from Taveion Hollingsworth was the catalyst the Tops needed to take t lead for the first time all game, 61–60.
In a contest filled with three ties and four lead changes, this was shaping up for an exciting conclusion. After yet (another seemingly uneasy to miss three-pointer by Charlotte), Savage shoots one of his own to turn the tables & toe the game at 67 with 53.6 left in the second half.
This would also repeat as the Tops and 49ers remained tied at 70 with 11 seconds to go. After the timeout, Jordan Shepard scores the go-ahead bucket with a layup to earn Charlotte the upset win at Diddle 72–70.
Here are some final thoughts from tonight’s heartbreaker:
- This was a stinger. This was also a well-deserved victory for Charlotte. Their defense stole the show.
- The lack of shooting beyond the arc really hurt us. I never thought how much a difference this would make early on.
- The fact that we were able to come back and almost win this game says a lot about the character and resilience of this ball club. It’s not the end of the world considering that we have three more games in pod play. The opportunity for a first-round bye in the CUSA tournament in Frisco is there. But looking forward, this is going to be one of the games that we wish we had back. Still a hard-fought game on both sides.
Here are the final stats from tonight's loss in Diddle:
