Tops ground Golden Eagles 82-70 in opener
Published 9:00 pm Monday, November 3, 2025
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Western Kentucky guard Teagan Moore (30) is defended by Tennessee Tech’s Mekhi Cameron (1) during WKU’s 82-70 home opener win on Monday against Tennessee Tech.
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Western Kentucky’s Ryan Myers (4) is defended by Tennessee Tech’s C.J. McPherson (13) during WKU’s 82-70 home opener win on Monday against Tennessee Tech.
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Western Kentucky’s Leeroy Odihai (21) shoots a free throw during WKU’s 82-70 home opener win on Monday against Tennessee Tech.
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Tennessee Tech’s Ty Owens (8) watches as Western Kentucky’s Blaise Keita (1) and Armelo Boone (12) fight for the ball against Tennessee Tech’s JaJuan Nicholls (7) and C.J. McPherson (13) during WKU’s 82-70 home opener win on Monday against Tennessee Tech.
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Western Kentucky’s Ryan Myers (4) is defended by Tennessee Tech’s C.J. McPherson (13) during WKU’s 82-70 home opener win on Monday against Tennessee Tech.
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The Hilltoppers enter the court during WKU’s 82-70 home opener win on Monday against Tennessee Tech.
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Western Kentucky guard LJ Hackman (2) is defended by Tennessee Tech’s Mekhi Turner (4) during WKU’s 82-70 home opener win on Monday against Tennessee Tech.
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Tennessee Tech’s Grant Slatten (10) is defended by Western Kentucky’s Cam Haffner (3) and Jack Edelen (5) during WKU’s 82-70 home opener win on Monday against Tennessee Tech.
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Western Kentucky’s Armelo Boone (12) aims for the basket during WKU’s 82-70 home opener win on Monday against Tennessee Tech.
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Tennessee Tech’s Ty Owens (8) is defended by Western Kentucky’s LJ Hackman (2) during WKU’s 82-70 home opener win on Monday against Tennessee Tech.
Western Kentucky served up 20 minutes of comfort food for fans at E.A. Diddle Arena on Monday night.
Think mac and cheese, chicken and dumplings, warm apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream — the rebuilt Hilltoppers performed with the reassuring skill and discipline to warm the hardest of hearts in the first half against Tennessee Tech.
The second half? That was more like a PG-13 movie. Some mild peril, a bit of explicit language (probably), but all turned out well in the end as WKU locked down an 82-70 victory.
“Obviously happy to come out of here with a win tonight,” Hilltoppers coach Hank Plona said. “As I stare at this stat sheet right now, I think we got a little too focused on our individual things tonight. So I thought our ball movement and our team offense and our team defense didn’t quite reflect the team that we worked really hard — these guys have worked really hard to build the last five months. So there you go, start with some real positivity.
“But obviously Tennessee Tech is a very good team. We knew they would be. They’ve got a lot of older, experienced players and they certainly did not back down. They shot the ball very well and moved the ball very well. It was a challenge, just like we knew it would be. So definitely happy we found a way to win.”
WKU (1-0) got a balanced scoring effort with five players reaching double digits in points, with much of that production coming at the free-throw line. The Tops hit 28-of-35 (80%) from the line, while Tennessee Tech (0-1) was just 6-of-12 on free-throw attempts.
That turned out to be more than enough to offset the Golden Eagles’ 3-point shooting. Tennessee Tech bombed away from deep, hitting 10 of 31 tries from beyond the arc while WKU was a middling 2-of-11 from that range.
“Continuing to put pressure on the basket and getting to the free-throw line is a good thing,” Plona said. “If you get to the line and make a lot more free throws than the other team shoots, that’s usually a recipe for success. We shot 11 3s and they shot 31, so obviously we were focused on attacking the paint and that’s a good thing.”
The Tops looked rock-solid in the first half, building a 41-28 lead by the break. Graduate senior forward Bryant Selebangue nearly had a double-double in the first 20 minutes with 12 points and eight rebounds — he nailed down the double-double in the second half for a stellar Hilltopper debut.
“This is definitely a first step,” Selebangue said. “Coaches emphasize my motor, motor, motor to keep pushing myself in practice. That’s something I’m going to continue working on. They emphasize it’s going to translate. I’m just making sure my motor is always high running in practice, not to take days off. I’m sure that’s going to translate.”
Back-to-back jumpers by WKU senior forward Grant Newell followed by Selebangue’s bucket on a cut to the rim stretched the lead to 17 points at 58-41 with 10:18 to go, but the Golden Eagles weren’t ready to quit.
Tech’s 13-2 run tightened the game to six points at 60-54, prompting a Plona time out with 6:07 to go. Redshirt sophomore Teagan Moore’s and-one basket in the lane stretched the lead back out, but the Golden Eagles’ Ty Owens rattled in a 3-pointer to bring it back to six.
WKU junior guard LJ Hackman hit both ends of a one-and-a-bonus free-throw opportunity, the Tops got a stop on the other end and then Moore came through with an offensive putback to stretch the lead back to 10.
Moore, who missed last season while recovering from hip surgery, finished with 16 points and nine rebounds for a solid follow-up to his game-high 26 points in the Tops’ exhibition win at UAB last week.
“These guys probably had the film, they probably had a full scout on him, he was probably a focal point I would think after having 26 points,” Plona said. “So they had a plan for him and I think it bothered him a little bit and maybe got him off course, but then when that game got close we kind of challenged him to get back to himself and I thought he made some great plays without the basketball — his offensive rebounds — to keep us in front. He made some plays down the stretch to help us win, for sure.”
Tech’s Jacobe Whitted then hit another 3, but Moore again came up with a big offensive putback to blunt the threat. A five-point spurt by WKU — Newell hit a 3-pointer in the corner and graduate guard Terrion Murdix scored on a drive — pushed the advantage to 74-62 with 2:38 to go. The Golden Eagles never really threatened again.
Murdix, back on the court after missing the last two seasons with knee injuries, was stellar at point guard with 13 points, six rebounds and a pair of assists. Plona called Murdix “the catalyst” of the Tops’ win.
“If we do selfish or careless things, it drives him just as crazy as it drives me,” Plona said. “And when you have a point guard that has that mentality, that certainly rubs off on others on the team.”
Newell tied Selebangue with a team-high 16 points, while graduate senior guard Ryan Myers also hit double digits with 11 points.
The Tops return to action Nov. 10 at Eastern Kentucky.
About Jeff Nations
Sports Editor, Bowling Green Daily News
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