Myers, Hilltoppers rally for 88-87 win at Delaware in overtime

NEWARK, Del. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball defeated Delaware 88-87 in overtime on Wednesday night inside the Bob Carpenter Center.

The Hilltoppers (15-11, 8-7 CUSA) erased a 16-point first-half deficit to earn a one-point overtime road win against the Blue Hens (9-17, 5-10 CUSA). Teagan Moore powered the comeback with a game-high 27 points, and Ryan Myers added 22 off the bench, including three clutch free throws to force overtime and the game-winning pair with 0.3 seconds left. LJ Hackman (13 points) and Armelo Boone (11 points) also scored in double figures.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Teagan Moore opened the scoring for WKU with a 3-pointer on the team’s first possession, but Delaware quickly answered with a 7-0 run to take its first lead of the game. LJ Hackman and Grant Newell also added early baskets for the Hilltoppers, but the Blue Hens carried a 14-7 advantage into the first media timeout.
• Delaware continued to build on its momentum, pushing the lead to double digits by the 11:46 mark. Moore, Kade Unseld, Terrion Murdix and Newell each contributed buckets for WKU, but the Blue Hens maintained control and stretched their advantage to 37-21 with just over four minutes left in the half.
• The Hilltoppers gained some late traction as Moore and Ryan Myers each connected on layups in the paint, trimming the deficit to 41-29 heading into halftime.
• WKU came out strong to start the second half, cutting deeper into the Delaware lead. Newell, Hackman, Murdix and Moore combined for 10 points in the paint before Armelo Boone buried a 3-pointer to make it a six-point game, 48-42, with 15:31 remaining.
• Moore’s and-one finish and three combined free throws from Murdix and Boone set the stage for a surge from Myers, who drilled three 3-pointers in a two-minute span to make it a one-point game, 58-57, with 8:01 left.
• Delaware hung on to a narrow lead over the next six minutes as Moore and Hackman scored on drives to the rim and Boone went 2-for-2 from the line. Moore’s and-one cut the deficit to three before Boone buried a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game at 71-71 with 1:22 to play.
• The Blue Hens responded with a triple to regain the lead, 74-71, with 47 seconds left. They extended the margin to four with 13 seconds on the clock, but Hackman converted an and-one drive to make it 77-76. After Delaware hit two free throws, Myers drew a foul on a 3-point attempt with one second left and sank all three shots to send the game into overtime tied at 79-79.
• In the extra period, Delaware struck first with a layup, but Hackman hit 1-of-2 free throws before Myers tied it with his fifth 3-pointer. The Blue Hens regained the lead, only for Moore to respond with a clutch and-one finish to give WKU its first lead since the opening minutes, 86-85, with 39 seconds remaining. Delaware again went 2-for-2 at the stripe to reclaim a one-point edge, but with just 0.3 seconds left, Myers was fouled on a shot attempt and sank both free throws to complete WKU’s 16-point comeback for an 88-87 overtime road victory.

NOTABLES

• WKU improved to 15-11 overall and 8-7 in Conference USA play while moving to 1-0 all-time against Delaware.
• The Hilltoppers’ starting lineup featured Terrion Murdix, LJ Hackman, Teagan Moore, Grant Newell and Blaise Keita — a starting lineup that remains unbeaten at 4-0 this season.
• Announced attendance for the game was 2,250.
• Four Hilltoppers scored in double figures in the win, led by Moore’s 27 points. Ryan Myers added 22 off the bench, Hackman finished with 13 and Armelo Boone contributed 11. After going the first 24 games of the season without a game featuring multiple 20-point scorers, WKU has now accomplished the feat in back-to-back contests.
• Moore led the way for the Hilltoppers with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including an 8-of-9 mark from the free throw line, while adding four rebounds in 34 minutes.
• Myers provided a major spark off the bench, scoring 22 points in 29 minutes. He knocked down five 3-pointers on 5-of-9 shooting from deep and went a perfect 5-of-5 at the line, while dishing out five assists and grabbing two rebounds.
• Hackman filled the stat sheet with 13 points, five assists and four steals, going 4-of-7 from the field and 5-of-7 from the stripe in 26 minutes.
• Boone produced 11 points off the bench, hitting 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 at the line. He also pulled down three rebounds in 26 minutes.
• Murdix recorded a season-high eight assists to go with six points, five rebounds and three steals across a season-high 37 minutes.
• Newell chipped in six points and four rebounds over 27 minutes.
• Keita collected eight rebounds in just 17 minutes. The graduate big man has now totaled 52 boards over his last six outings, averaging 8.7 rebounds in that span.
• WKU shot 47.4% from the field (27-of-57), 37.5% from beyond the arc (9-of-24) and 80.6% at the free throw line (25-of-31).
• The Hilltoppers held the edge in nearly every statistical category, including points off turnovers (12-9), points in the paint (36-34), second-chance points (16-10), fast-break points (12-9), bench points (36-3), rebounds (31-29) and assists (18-13).
• WKU trailed for 40:51 and led for just 1:17, as the game saw four lead changes and six ties.
• The 16-point comeback marked WKU’s largest rally to win since Jan. 2, 2025, when the Hilltoppers erased the same deficit to defeat Liberty, 71-70, in Lynchburg, Virginia.

QUOTABLE

“Man, one of those games. We haven’t had one this year that you’re battling the whole game and somehow you pull it out. I’m happy for the guys that they’re able to get a positive reward and positive reinforcement. It seems like we’ve been in a lot of those. We did a lot of things down the stretch as far as getting to the free throw line, getting to the rim, executing some late-game situations, drawing fouls, that go into winning basketball, and I’m very proud of the guys for doing that.” — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on the overtime win at Delaware.

NEXT UP

WKU continues its road trip on the East Coast, playing at Liberty on Saturday, Feb. 21, in Lynchburg, Virginia. Tipoff inside Liberty Arena is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT, with the game airing on ESPN+.