(BOWLING GREEN, Ky) — Hilltopper Basketball secures its third consecutive C-USA victory, overpowering the conference’s second-ranked defense. 

Despite missing two of their top scorers to injury, the Hilltoppers showed no signs of despair. Instead, their dominant 101-69 victory over New Mexico State showcased seamless adjustments, marking one of the most unforgettable performances in Diddle Arena this season. 

“Obviously, a better than average day at the office,” Head Coach Hank Plona said following the win. “You never really expect a game to go like that and obviously it’s kind of a pleasant surprise when it does.” 

After a back-and-forth first half, the Tops took a 42-34 lead over the Aggies at the break. But nothing could have prepared Diddle Arena for the electrifying 20 minutes of basketball that followed. 

Senior guard Don McHenry had a standout game, leading the Tops with 27 points off the bench, shooting 77.8% (7-9) from the 3-point line. Senior forward Tyrone Marshall Jr. followed in scoring with 24 points on 10-14 shooting, a career-high for the Nashville native. 

“We have a bunch of guys who have championship pedigree that know each other, that don’t want to be selfish, that are playing to win, playing the right way and obviously sometimes you’ve got to find your rhythm,” Plona said. “These last couple games we’ve obviously made some steps in the right direction.” 

The Breakdown: 

The first half was a defensive showdown between the Tops and Aggies, featuring seven lead changes in the first seven minutes of action. WKU began to take control at the 12:58 mark when Tyrone Marshall Jr. buried a three-pointer, sparking momentum and extending the Tops’ lead to 17-12. 

McHenry sank three consecutive three-pointers, fueling a 9-3 run to push the advantage to 26-19. With 7:43 left in the half, WKU saw the Aggies respond with five straight points, cutting the lead to just one at 28-27. 

Kalambay’s three-pointer and Lander’s contested layup at the buzzer capped off the first-half scoring, as the Tops closed the half on an 8-2 run, stretching their lead to 42-34 at the break. 

WKU came out strong to start the second half with an 8-0 run in the first three minutes of play to extend the lead 50-34.

Marshall Jr. powered the run with five consecutive points, followed by a McHenry three-pointer, which started his flawless beyond-the-arc performance in the second half, pushing the Tops advantage to 60-39 with 14:22 left. 

With 8:53 remaining, McHenry drilled another three-pointer to push the score to 84-51. In just the first 12 minutes of the second half, the Tops had already matched their entire first half scoring total of 42 points. 

Bayless drained yet another Hilltopper three-pointer, pushing the score to 94-59 with 4:33 remaining. The shot boosted WKU’s three-point efficiency to an impressive 56.7%, as they knocked down 17 of 30 attempts from beyond the arc. 

Jaylen Dorsey sealed the Hilltoppers’ dominant performance with a three-pointer, closing out their 101-69 victory in style.

WKU will at play Kennesaw State on Thursday, February 6th at 6 p.m. CT.