Hilltopper Sports: Unleashing the Spirit of Western Kentucky University

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – WKU men’s basketball is set to return to conference road action this week and will be traveling for their 148^th historical matchup against traditional rival Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 18. The game will commence from Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

The Hilltoppers come into the contest against the Blue Raiders with an overall record of 11-6 and a 2-2 standing in Conference USA, following an 85-69 victory over Kennesaw State last Saturday. WKU experienced a split in competition during the previous week, narrowly losing to Jax State at home, 73-67, on Thursday.

Enoch Kalambay had a remarkable performance for the Tops during the team’s second week of CUSA competition, scoring a personal best of 24 points on a 7-for-17 shooting performance with 3-of-6 from three-point range and perfect 7-of-7 at the free-throw line in Thursday’s encounter against JSU. The senior guard continued his strong play with 19 points at a .500% (6-for-12) shooting rate, 2-of-3 from the three-point line, and a team-leading eight rebounds along with three assists in Saturday’s win over KSU.

Tyrone Marshall Jr. spearheaded the Tops’ performance in Saturday’s victory, concluding the game with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Four Hilltoppers reached double figures overall, with Don McHenry contributing 15 points, five rebounds, one steal, and a game-high three blocks, while Khristian Lander finished with 14 points on a 5-for-9 shooting performance from the floor and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.

Middle Tennessee enters the contest with a record of 12-5 and a 3-1 standing in conference play, coming off an 81-64 victory against Jax State in their last game. Senior guard Jestin Porter led the Blue Raiders in that win, scoring a season-high 29 points, including six three-pointers, and earned his third CUSA Player of the Week honor in recognition of that performance. Currently, Porter leads the Blue Raiders and ranks seventh in CUSA for scoring with 15.6 points per game.

GAME INFO
WKU (11-6, 2-2 CUSA) vs. Middle Tennessee (12-5, 3-1 CUSA)
Saturday, Jan. 18 | 6 p.m. CT

Murphy Center | Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Watch: ESPN+ (Jake Rose & Jill Jelnick)
Listen: Hilltopper Sports Radio Network | 100.7-FM (WKLX)/Varsity Network (Hal Schmitt & Randy Lee)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Buy | WKUTickets.com | 1-800-5-BIG RED
Game Notes: Media Center

ABOUT THE TOPS

• WKU is averaging 78.6 points per contest
• WKU is positioned ninth nationally in defensive rebounding, securing 29.18 per game
• The Tops rank 33^rd in the nation for steals, averaging 9.1 per game with a total of 155 this season

• WKU ranks 50^th in the country for FG% defense, restricting opponents to a .404% shooting percentage
• WKU is currently third nationally in adjusted tempo, averaging 74.2 possessions every 40 minutes
• The Tops are 109^th in the nation for fastbreak points, averaging 11.94 per game
• Don McHenry leads the Hilltoppers and ranks sixth in CUSA for scoring with 16.9 points per game; McHenry’s 33 steals (1.9/G) are the second most in CUSA and 59^th most in the nation
• McHenry holds the ninth-best FG% in the conference (min # attempts) at .399%
• McHenry boasts the fourth-best free-throw percentage in CUSA with a .797% (55-of-69) from the line; he also has a .324% shooting percentage from three-point range, with the highest number of attempts and made threes on the team (34-of-105)
• McHenry’s 34 successful three-point attempts rank 11^th in CUSA
• Tyrone Marshall Jr. is the top performer for WKU in defensive rebounding, ranking second in the conference with 98 (5.76/G) this season, placing him 65^th in the nation; the graduate forward also leads the team and is seventh in CUSA with a total of 113 rebounds (6.6/G) this season
• Marshall Jr. ranks second on the team and is 17^th in CUSA in total blocks with 11 so far this season
• Leeroy Odiahi ranks first on WKU and is 12^th in CUSA in total blocks with 13 this season
• Freshman Julius Thedford currently stands as the team’s second-leading scorer and is positioned 15^th in CUSA for total points and scoring with 213 this season, averaging 12.5 per game
• Thedford ranks 16^th in CUSA for made three-pointers with 29 this season
• Jalen Jackson leads the team and is 19^th in CUSA for assists with 37 (2.2/G) this year

 
SERIES INFORMATION
Saturday marks the 148^th historical contest between these two programs in a significant rivalryseries originating from 1914. Acting as the third-most contested series in Hilltopper Basketball lore, WKU possesses a 100-47 all-time lead over Middle Tennessee. A victory would secure the Tops their 101^st all-time triumph against the rival Blue Raiders, with the teams previously clashing in the CUSA Tournament Semifinal of last season on March 15, 2024, where WKU achieved a commanding 85-54 win to progress to the CUSA Championship Final and mark their 100^th all-time win over MTSU. The 31-point gap in the final score indicated the largest margin for WKU over its competitor since an 80-48 triumph on Jan. 7, 2006, and also the greatest in a conference tournament in the history of the program. The Hilltoppers split their encounters in the 2023-24 regular season versus MTSU, losing on the road in Murfreesboro, 74-72, on Feb. 24, and capturing an 88-65 victory at home in Diddle Arena on Feb. 3.

ANALYZING THE BLUE RAIDERS

• Jestin Porter is at the forefront for MTSU and stands seventh in CUSA for scoring with an average of 15.6 points per game
• Porter received his third CUSA Player of the Week accolade on Monday after netting 29 points in an 81-64 victory against Jax State on Saturday and scoring 27 points in an 84-79 win over Kennesaw State on Thursday
• Porter possesses the fifth-highest free-throw percentage in CUSA this season at .796% (43-of-54)
• Graduate forward Essam Mostafa tops CUSA in rebounding with a total of 149 this season, averaging 8.8 per game
• Senior guard Jlynn Counter and redshirt senior guard Camryn Weston are positioned seventh and ninth respectively in CUSA for assists
• MTSU collectively averages 78.5 points per game, ranking sixth overall in CUSA
• The Blue Raiders hold the third position in CUSA for combined team rebounding, collecting 39.4 per game with a total of 670 as a unit

Stay updated with the team on social media (@wkubasketball) and check out wkusports.com for the most recent news and updates regarding all matters Hilltopper Basketball as the team advances through its 2024-25 season.