WKU MBB: Big Second Half Lifts WKU to 80-70 Win Over FIU

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball defeated FIU 80-70 on Saturday afternoon inside E.A. Diddle Arena.

The Hilltoppers (13-11, 6-7 CUSA) scored 50 points in the second half to erase an eight-point deficit and earn a 10-point win over the Panthers (11-12, 4-8 CUSA) as four different Hilltoppers scored in double figures in the win. Grant Newell led the way with 23 points, including five 3-pointers, while Cam Haffner added 16 off the bench, Blaise Keita posted a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double and Ryan Myers chipped in 11.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Grant Newell opened the scoring for WKU with a midrange jumper on the Hilltoppers’ first possession, but FIU quickly responded with a 7-0 run to grab its first lead. Kade Unseld answered with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two, but a driving layup from the Panthers pushed their advantage back to four heading into the first media timeout with 14:03 on the clock.
• The Hilltoppers then caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down five of their next six field goals from long range. Newell buried three straight triples before Cam Haffner added two more, while Blaise Keita supplied the lone two-point basket during that stretch. Despite the offensive surge, FIU still held a 27-22 lead with 6:20 remaining in the half.
• FIU took a 38-30 lead into the locker room. WKU had trimmed the margin to three, 33-30, after Haffner scored five straight points on a 3-pointer and a floater and Newell finished at the rim off a Haffner assist. The Panthers, however, answered with a 5-0 spurt to close the half and restore their advantage to eight at the break.
• WKU quickly chipped away at the deficit to start the second half, opening the period on a 5-0 run. Armelo Boone scored three points on a layup and a free throw, and Keita followed with a two-point basket. The Hilltoppers cut it to 42-40 after a layup from Terrion Murdix and a 3-pointer from Ryan Myers with 14:36 to play.
• A 14-5 burst over the next five minutes swung the momentum and put WKU back in front. Newell poured in eight points during the run on two 3-pointers and a pair of free throws, Unseld drilled another triple and Keita finished again at the rim. Murdix capped the stretch with a driving layup at the 8:28 mark to give the Hilltoppers a 57-51 lead.
• FIU clawed back to make it a one-possession game, 65-63, with 4:11 remaining, using two 3-pointers and six free throws over a four-minute span. Four different Hilltoppers answered during that stretch, as Haffner and Myers connected from deep while Murdix and Newell attacked the rim for layups.
• WKU sealed the game at the stripe, knocking down seven free throws in the final four minutes from Myers, Keita and Haffner. Boone and Keita put the finishing touches on the victory with a dunk apiece in the final 1:32, punctuating an 80-70 win over FIU.

NOTABLES

• WKU improves to 13-11 overall, 6-7 in Conference USA play and 42-14 all-time against FIU with the win.
• Today’s starting five featured Terrion Murdix, Armelo Boone, LJ Hackman, Grant Newell and Blaise Keita.
• Today’s announced attendance was 3,145.
• Four Hilltoppers scored in double figures, led by Grant Newell’s 23 points. Cam Haffner added 16 off the bench, Blaise Keita chipped in 12 and Ryan Myers rounded out the group with 11.
• Newell scored 23 points on an efficient 8-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc and a perfect 2-of-2 at the line while also adding two rebounds and a block in 30 minutes. It marked his second 20-plus point outing of the season and his second-highest scoring effort of the year.
• Haffner provided a major spark off the bench, pouring in 16 points and chipping in two rebounds, two assists and a steal in 22 minutes. He went 5-of-12 from the field and 4-of-9 from 3-point range while knocking down both of his free throws.
• Keita delivered a dominant effort in the paint, recording 12 points and 10 rebounds in just 22 minutes for his second career double-double. He shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-2 at the line, added a steal and finished with a team-best plus-15 plus-minus. It was his first double-double since Nov. 20, 2022 during his Nebraska tenure, when he had 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
• Myers finished with 11 points, two assists and a steal in 22 minutes off the bench.
• Murdix stuffed the stat sheet with six points on 3-of-6 shooting to go along with six assists, five rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes.
• Kade Unseld contributed six points, six rebounds and a block in 16 minutes off the bench.
• Boone grabbed seven rebounds to go along with five points, four assists and a steal.
• WKU held edges in points off turnovers (20-11), second-chance points (19-9), fast-break points (10-8), bench scoring (34-9), rebounds (44-37) and steals (7-6), while matching FIU in both points in the paint (28-28) and assists (18-18).
• The Hilltoppers were in front for 14:27, while the Panthers led for 22:06. The game featured six lead changes and five ties.

QUOTABLES

• “Just real happy and proud of our players today for digging down deep and figuring out a way to beat another very good team in our league. Every battle, all 20 games in our league, are a challenge to win, and the longer you do this in Conference USA, the more you appreciate that fact and certainly value the wins. Certainly, at halftime there, we kind of had — I wouldn’t say a soul-searching moment, not in any kind of crazy way — just a very matter of fact, ‘Yep, we’re tired. Yep, this hasn’t been an easy stretch. Yep, we’re down by eight. Yeah, we all know the situation.’ We can either band together and be the best versions of ourselves and play with an aggressiveness and a confidence to get the job done, or we can be on our heels and struggle a little bit, and I thought the players went out there, took the initiative and were very confident, very aggressive and played to win. I’m very proud of them for accomplishing that and getting a good win today.” — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on the win over FIU.
• “Before the game I was getting up a lot of shots, maybe like an hour forty-five before the game, and it also helped that my teammates, they kept finding me. They knew I was hot and they kept getting me the ball, so, really just shout out to my teammates for getting me shots.” — F Grant Newell, on his performance in the win over FIU.
• “I’m so excited for this double-double because I’ve been working every day. In this game, my team helped me a lot to go more and be stronger on the court.” — F/C Blaise Keita on his double-double in the win over FIU.

NEXT UP

• WKU concludes its three-game homestand next Saturday, Feb. 14, against Middle Tennessee. Tipoff inside Diddle Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT, with the game airing ESPN+. Tickets to the game can be purchased HERE.