WKU MBB: Hilltoppers fall to FIU in CUSA Championship first round

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – WKU men’s basketball fell to FIU, 64-61, in the first round of the CUSA Championship on Tuesday night in VBC Propst Arena. With the loss, the Hilltoppers wrap the 2024-25 campaign with a 17-15 final overall record.

Braxton Bayless led the Tops in the scoring column with 12 points on 5-of-8 from the field along with four rebounds and a team high of two assists. Tyrone Marshall Jr. led the team in rebounds with eight while adding eight points, one steal and a block.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After an opening bucket by FIU 11 seconds in, the Tops got on the board with a driving layup by Jalen Jackson to even the count at 2-2 a minute into the game. Tied at 6-6 at the 15:58 mark of the first, WKU went on a 12-2 run over the next nine minutes to take a 10-point, 18-8 lead with 6:57 remaining in the first half. WKU extended its lead to 25-12 as Khristian Lander connected on a second-chance tip-in with 3:28 left in the first. After a response by the Panthers, Lander pushed the Tops’ lead back to 13, 27-14, with a driving layup off a fast break with 1:19 to play until the break.

To that point, the Tops held FIU to a 0-of-11 clip from range and just 6-of-31 (.194%) shooting from the field.

With a minute remaining in the half, FIU responded with a three then a made jumper outside the paint to cut the Tops’ lead to eight, before a steal and last-second three from deep at the buzzer fell and narrowed the margin to just five, 27-22, entering the half.

Returning for the second half of action, Bayless hit on a layup 30 seconds in to push the Hilltopper lead back out to seven, 29-22. A made free throw by Don McHenry pushed the Tops’ lead back into double-digits and gave WKU a 10-point, 34-24 advantage with 16:57 remaining in the game. The Panthers responded with an 8-0 run to bring the count to 34-32 with just over 14 minutes remaining.

WKU maintained a lead for the next five minutes of play before FIU evened the count at 42-42 for the first time since the 15:58 mark of the first. A made pair at the line by the Panthers then gave FIU a lead in the game for the first time since the 19:28 mark of the first. A 1-of-2 trip to the line by Marshall Jr. evened the score again at 45-all before FIU reclaimed a lead, 48-45, following a three-point play with 6:35 remaining in regulation. WKU answered with its own three-point play as Enoch Kalambay connected on a second-chance layup in the paint, and one, to bring the count to 48-all with six minutes to play.

Blaise Keita muscled in the paint for a bucket to regain a two-point, 52-50 lead in favor of the Tops with 4:35 left in regulation. FIU deadlocked the score at 52 with another 2-of-2 trip to the line, then regained a two-point lead off a second-chance layup in the paint with 2:32 to play in regulation. After 1-of-2 made free throws by both teams, Marshall Jr. once again tied the game at 55 with a made layup with 1:14 to play. After FIU answered with another successful 2-of-2 trip to the stripe, WKU turned the ball over with 34 seconds remaining in the game and FIU pushed its lead to six, 61-55, off two more successful trips at the stripe. With 10 seconds remaining, McHenry connected on a triple, and one, for a four-point play to cut the Tops’ deficit to two.

FIU went 1-of-2 at the line to push its lead to three with seven seconds to play. A drawn foul and made pair by Bayless narrowed the margin to one, 62-61, but another 2-of-2 trip at the line for FIU extended the Panther lead back out to three. A last-second three by McHenry at the buzzer was off the mark, and WKU fell to FIU, 64-61.

NOTABLES

• WKU utilized the starting lineup of Bayless, Keita, McHenry, Jackson and Marshall Jr.
• Braxton Bayless led the Tops in scoring with 12 points on 5-of-8 from the field with four rebounds and a team best two assists.
• Tyrone Marshall Jr. led the team in rebounding pulling down eight and adding eight points, one steal and a block.
• Enoch Kalambay was the second Hilltopper to chart double figures scoring with 11 points on 5-of-9 from the field with four boards and one assist
• Despite holding the Panthers to just .316% shooting from the field and .190% from the arc, the Tops struggled to connect shooting on the offensive end, charting a .356% mark from the field and just 5.6% (1-of-18) from range. The Tops’ only three of the night came with just 10 seconds remaining as Don McHenry connected on a four-point play following a drawn foul on the shot attempt.
• WKU held a lead in the game for 27:34 compared to just 4:29 for FIU. The game saw four lead changes and nine ties.
• WKU outscored FIU in the paint, 40-22, and connected on 16 second-chance points to the Panthers’ nine
• The Hilltoppers are now 41-14 all-time in matchups against the Panthers.