WKU Basketball: Tops Punch Ticket To New York City, Race Past Oklahoma State 92–84.

WKU’s magical season continued as Taveion Hollingsworth scored 30 points and WKU beat Oklahoma State in front of a hostile crowd of 11,308 fans at Gallagher-Iba Arena to advance to their first NIT Final Four since 1954.

Darius Thompson picked up two fouls in the first two and a half minutes as the game got off to a slow start but the Tops went on a 16–8 run to build a 22–15 lead at the end of the first quarter on the strength of 18 points in the paint.

Oklahoma State picked up the pace and got the crowd into the game in the second quarter as they quickly cut the lead down to 1 point as the Cowboys heated up from three point range. Hollingsworth matched three of the Cowboys second quarter triples, adding up to 17 first half points as the Tops took a 43–41 lead into the locker room.

Hollingsworth kept his high-scoring ways going in the third quarter adding five quick points and helping WKU extend their lead to five in the process.

The game continued to be physical upsetting the home crowd as WKU grinded out a 7–0 run midway through the quarter extending the lead to 57–48. The Cowboys didn’t go away, as they hit more threes and tied the game at 60 with 1:15 left in the quarter. Dwight Coleby and Lemonte Bearden answered that punch with two straight baskets to take a 64–60 lead into the final quarter.

The Tops continued to put up points to start off the final 10 minutes but foul trouble reared its ugly head. Coleby picked up his fourth foul with eight minutes left and Josh Anderson fouled out with 6:32 left as the Tops clinged to a 71–66 lead. Oklahoma State responded by cutting the lead to one before a Thompson three extended the lead to four with 3:52 remaining.

Then the game got wild as Lamonte Bearden and Oklahoma State’s Tavarius Shine got in a scuffle that delayed the game for several minutes and resulted in multiple technical fouls and Shine’s ejection.

WKU pushed the lead back to seven with under three minutes left. The Cowboys then cut the lead down to three but that would be as close as they came as WKU tightened up on defense and Coleby’s monster block with 1:26 left the game turning it into a free throw shooting contest as WKU walked out of Stillwater with a 92–84 victory punching their ticket to the NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden.

Here are some post game thoughts after yet another impressive victory

• Hollingworth continues to show he’ll be the unquestioned heart of the team moving forward. Not only did he regularly continue to dominate the scoring column but he also played his heart out on defense, grabbing eight rebounds and getting a huge charge call late in the game. It never gets old hearing UK fans complain about how they missed out on him.
• Coleby continued his post season resurgence garnering his first double double since January 27 with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Coleby was a force returning back to Big 12 country and he managed take over the game despite playing with four fouls the last eight minutes.
• The refs were very foul happy throughout the game. The foul margin was 9–5 in the first half and a staggering 49 fouls were called during the game. Luckily, this played right into WKU’s hands as they went 23 for 30 from the foul stripe (76.7%)
• WKU’s Achilles heel of allowing teams to get hot from three point range almost burned them again as they allowed 10 three pointers again. Unlike previous games (UTSA, Marshall), they didn’t let made three pointers bury them and they responded each time the Cowboys made those backbreaking shots.
• Anderson fouled out, Coleby and Hollingsworth both played with four fouls, luckily the bench wasn’t needed too much in this one
• WKU dominated the Cowboys in the paint, outscoring them 50–24 and forced two Cowboys to foul out in the process.
• Rick Stansbury is now 36–0 when leading with five minutes left. That stat is incredible and shows that his teams have killer instincts when they have an opponent down late.
• Moustapha Diagne has a long way to go if he’s going to be an effective player next season. He regularly enters the game and doesn’t do much besides turn the ball over or foul down low. He’ll have every opportunity next season to show what he’s worth but it’s painful to see him in there right now.
• Bearden’s emotions sometimes get the better of him but his penetration & distribution skills have been missed for almost a decade. He finished with 19 points, six assists and four rebounds. Having Bearden back next season helps elevate WKU to the next level.
• Not to dwell too much on the past, but there was reason why WKU fans weren’t happy with Ray Harper towards the end of his tenure. He put way too many eggs in the conference tournament basket. Putting forth quality regular seasons like 2017–18 gives the fan base a chance for a memorable season even if you don’t make the NCAA tournament. Tonight’s game was just the latest example. Here’s what Stansbury has meant to WKU this season despite coming up a point short of the NCAA tournament.

WKU will now continue their magical globe traveling season that started in Costa Rica and will end in Madison Square Garden, playing the winner of tonight's matchup of St Mary’s and Utah. Here’s hoping the Tops can gut out two more wins and put a cherry on an already special season.

Here are your final stats from tonight’s season extending win