WKU Hilltopper Basketball suffered a narrow 74-72 loss to Grand Canyon on Saturday night at the Global Credit Union Arena in a hard-fought road contest. Don McHenry led the Hilltoppers with 23 points, five rebounds, one assist, and a steal in the defeat, while Tyrone Marshall Jr. added 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Game Recap
The Hilltoppers won the tip-off and got off to a strong start, with Marshall scoring just 12 seconds into the game. WKU forced an early turnover and Marshall converted again, giving the Tops a 6-2 lead three minutes in. However, Grand Canyon quickly responded with three consecutive possessions, including a fast-break layup, to take an 8-6 lead heading into the first media timeout.
McHenry hit his first three-pointer of the night after the break to put WKU back in front, 9-8. The Hilltoppers continued to pressure GCU, holding them without a field goal for 3:47 and building a 19-16 lead. The Lopes chipped away and briefly took a one-point advantage before Marshall found Babacar Faye for two free throws to give WKU a 21-20 lead with 8:59 left in the first half.
WKU extended its lead to seven points at 29-22, thanks to a trio of three-pointers from Enoch Kalambay, Khristian Lander, and Marshall. McHenry then set up Lander for a fast-break layup with 4:05 to play in the half, but the Lopes responded with a 13-7 run to close the gap. Lander’s baseline three and driving layup in the final two minutes gave WKU a 36-35 lead heading into halftime.
Lander scored the first points of the second half, putting WKU ahead 38-35, but GCU regained the lead with back-to-back three-pointers, taking a 49-45 advantage. The two teams continued to trade baskets, with the game tied at 49-49 and 58-58 before McHenry hit a clutch three-pointer to put the Tops up 61-58. He then converted a banked-in shot through traffic to extend the lead to 65-58 with 6:45 remaining.
With the Hilltoppers leading 69-62, Marshall’s goaltended layup and Faye’s free throw extended the lead to 70-64, but GCU closed the gap with a 5-0 run to make it 72-71 with 44 seconds left. The Lopes completed the comeback with an “and-one” play to tie the game at 72-all. With just 0.4 seconds remaining, GCU hit a go-ahead jumper to win the game 74-72.
Notable Performances
- McHenry led the Hilltoppers with 23 points, including a team-high three three-pointers, on 9-of-16 shooting from the field.
- Marshall added 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds in 34 minutes.
- Faye chipped in nine points, shooting 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, in 30 minutes of play.
- The Hilltoppers struggled with turnovers, recording 16 compared to eight assists, but managed to capitalize on GCU’s 12 turnovers, scoring 16 points off the mistakes.
Additional Notes
- The loss marks WKU’s 0-2 start to the season, their first since the 2003-04 season under coach Darrin Horn.
- With the defeat, WKU now holds a 0-1 record against Grand Canyon in their first-ever matchup.
- GCU secured its 18th consecutive home win with the victory.
- WKU held the lead for 30:16 of the game, but the contest saw 10 ties and 17 lead changes.
Next Up
The Hilltoppers will return home to continue the 2024-25 season, hosting Campbellsville on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Tip-off from E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky. is set for 7 p.m. CT, with ESPN+ streaming the game live.
