Lander, Thedford lead Tops in win over Tigers

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The WKU Hilltopper men’s basketball team got their first victory in the Hank Plona era on Tuesday night, dropping over 100 points on the Campbellsville Tigers in Diddle Arena and winning 104-76.

The Tops made 16 threes at a 50 percent clip, and seven different Hilltoppers made one from long range.

Returning guard Khristian Lander had a huge game, scoring 23 points, and freshman Julius Thedford scored 16 points on five three-pointers, along with three rebounds and two assists, to continue a solid start to his career here on the Hill.

Here’s what the guard from Memphis had to say after his performance, plus Coach Plona’s thoughts on the type of player Thedford is for this team.

“ My confidence is through the roof. I mean, I’m not shy at all, I’m not scared to play, I’m gonna guard, defend, rebound, just be a dog all around,” Thedford said.

“He brings an upbeat attitude most days, we’re trying to make that every day because he’s a special one now, like, he’s wired differently,” Plona said. “I think that Julius’ upside is through the roof, so, he’s been a pleasure to coach. He does remind me of some of the best freshmen that I’ve been fortunate enough to be around, and he’s a big part of our team.”