Triumphant Hilltoppers Win the Conference USA Championship Over UTEP

Huntsville, Alabama— The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are going dancing for the first time since 2013, with their triumphant 78-71 win over the UTEP Miners. The Hilltoppers put on a display throughout the Conference USA tournament, with some upsets along the way as well as the final step being achieved. First-year coach Steve Lutz will take a red-hot team into the tournament, where they will await their potential seeding. Could an upset be in the works for Lutz’s fresh squad? Or are they a one-and-done team coming next week?

Western Kentucky rolled into the game with a 10-2 run, opening up the floodgates early in Huntsville, Alabama. With the Cinderella Miners, they eased into the game to keep the Hilltoppers within reach for the whole first half, with a 40-36 deficit. A fast-paced, high offensive explosion from both sides occurred in the first twenty. Babacar Faye with his nine first-half points propelled the Hilltoppers to a slight advantage going into the locker room. 

With a true fight coming from UTEP in the second half, they found themselves back in the game with a scoring run before the first media timeout. With the help of Don McHenry, the Hilltoppers saw themselves fighting off the early push by the Miners. Taking hold with a comfortable three-possession lead at the under-eight timeout, seeing this one out would be the only test for Western Kentucky to smell a tournament berth. Despite the loss, Zid Powell was fantastic for the Miners going off for 21 points to go along with four rebounds. 

With superstar Don McHenry, he articulated a performance like none other in the championship game. At times, single-handedly willing his team to stay focused and keep pace, a true leader was oozing out of McHenry. Finishing with 25 points, four rebounds, and one assist, a magical March performance was the perfect way to describe his night. With his supporting cast, a surprise upset for the Hilltoppers can be seen in the distance. As Jon Rothstein says it best, “This is March.”