Lady Toppers hold off Colorado 79-78, advance to semifinals

What a game, what a finish. It was a game that, as you’re watching it, thought it could, possibly even should, go into overtime, and that’s exactly what happened. At times, the Lady Toppers looked really good, and at times you wondered how long it’d be until the Buffs ran away with it. But, in the end, it’d be the Lady Toppers who’d get the key plays to go their way, and WKU squeaked out of Colorado with a 79-78 overtime win.

It was a game that took a little bit for both teams to get their footing under them, but saw WKU take a one-point lead into halftime. The second half started slowly as well, but picked up and eventually saw the Lady Toppers take a nine point lead. But, some poor shooting (of which the Lady Tops shot 35%) and some…questionable…foul calls allowed Colorado to storm back, and tie the game, and eventually take a lead of their own.

More from Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

WKU stormed back and had all the breaks go their way in order to tie the game, and actually had a chance to win the game at the regulation buzzer, but a tipped shot from the foul line off the hands of Tashia Brown sent this game into OT. Colorado struck first blood in the extra session, but the Lady Toppers went on a run and, when it was all said and done, had to fight off Colorado once again at the very end, and did so successfully.

Chastity Gooch lead the way for WKU (as if you’re surprised) with 30 points and 11 boards, going 10-16 from the floor and adding a trio of three pointers. Micah Jones also got in on the scoring fun, netting 20 points and going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line, with some key free throws being hit in overtime. If that stat line were any different for Micah, this’d be a very different recap. Alexis Govan was a factor early, but fouled out of the game in the second half and left with nine points and five rebounds.

For Colorado, Jen Reese recorded a career high in points, 24, and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Lexy Kresl also recorded 20 points. The Buffaloes were able to record a better shooting percentage in every facet of the floor (FG%, 3FG% and FT%) than WKU, but 25 offensive boards for the Lady Toppers proved the be the one major difference between the two teams.

Michelle Clark-Herd and her squad will now prepare to face Albany, who upset Penn State by a point, on Thursday, in Diddle Arena.

Home/Western Kentucky Hilltoppers