Chris Harrison-Docks scored 12 points, including a big 3-pointer in overtime, and WKU beat UTEP 71-66 on Thursday. Coach Ray Harper’s Hilltoppers (13-5, 6-0 in Conference USA) have won eight straight games and hosts UTSA Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Harrison-Docks' 3-pointer with 1:24 left in overtime put WKU up by three. George Fant's dunk moments later pushed it to four and UTEP's C.J. Cooper missed two 3-pointers in the last seven seconds.
WKU (13-5, 6-0 Conference USA) erased a 10-point lead early in the second and T.J. Price's layup with 4:22 left tied it at 57. Ben Lawson added a pair of free throws 45 seconds later to put the Hilltoppers up two.
UTEP (12-6, 4-2) went the last 4:38 of regulation without a basket, but Earvin Morris was fouled with 1.2 seconds left on a 3-point attempt. He missed the first but made the other two to force overtime.
Trency Jackson led WKU with 14 points and Fant finished with 13 points and 11 boards.
Cedrick Lang paced UTEP with 14 points, Vince Hunter had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Morris ended with 10 points.
Lady Toppers keep winning
The 24th ranked Lady Toppers racked up their eighth road win of the season and 14th straight win overall by posting an 80-74 win over UTEP on Thursday night at the Don Haskins Center to secure the 14th consecutive win for the Lady Toppers.
WKU (17-2, 6-0) forced UTEP into a season high 24 turnovers and converted on 30-of-36 attempts at the free throw line to secure the win, their 14th consecutive.
Junior Micah Jones had a career high 22 points, converting on 10-of-12 free throws and hitting two key three-point field goals in the second half. She was one of four Lady Toppers to finish with double figures. Freshman Tashia Brown had 17 points, one off her career high, in one of the best efforts of her career while senior Chastity Gooch had 19 points and eight steals and senior Alexis Govan finished with 10 points.
Gooch's eight steals were one off the WKU record of nine and were the third performance this season by a WKU player of seven or more steals in a game..
WKU shot just 38.3 percent from the field for the game, converting on 23-of-60 shots.
UTEP (8-7, 3-3) gave the Lady Toppers a fight by utilizing the long ball, converting on 11-of-24 three-point shots in the game, making just one more field goal from outside the three-point arc than inside it.
Following this week's two-game road swing in the Lone Star State, Coach Michelle Clark-Heard’s team returns home for a pair of games with Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss. WKU faces the Lady Techsters for the first time in four years on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.. The game will be televised nationally on Fox College Sports through the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network. WKU then hosts Southern Miss on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m.
Single-game tickets for all Lady Topper Basketball home games are on sale now and can be purchased online at WKUSports.com or by calling the WKU Ticket Office at 1-800-5-BIG RED or 745-5222 locally.
Fans can also participate in the new Lady Toppers U Win Program for the remainder of the 2014-15 season. Fans that buy a $10 upper level reserved seat to any home game will receive a free ticket to the each of the next WKU home games as long as the Lady Toppers continue to win. For example, if WKU wins the next 10 home games after fans purchase their $10 upper level reserved seat, they will receive a free ticket to each of the 10 ensuing home games for the remainder of the 2014-15 season.
WKU Director of Athletics Todd Stewart has also extended a unique offer for the remainder of the season.
"Our women's basketball team is off to a great start this season, but we need more people in the stands," said Stewart. "I guarantee you will have a great time seeing this team this year. Please buy a ticket and see this Lady Topper team. If you don't have a great time, send me your ticket stub and I will refund your money."