SportbasketballNCAA Basketball
Hackman saves the day for WKU
In the kind of gritty, grind-it-out conference battle that defines the season, LJ Hackman delivered a closing act worthy of a primetime highlight reel, lifting Western Kentucky to a crucial 66-61 victory over Louisiana Tech in a packed E. A.Diddle Arena on Sunday. With the Hilltoppers' comfortable lead evaporating and Hackman himself saddled with four fouls, the 6-foot-3 junior guard transformed into a closer in the final three minutes, dropping seven clutch points to snatch back a win that seemed to be slipping through WKU’s fingers.It was a classic CUSA dogfight—the kind where pretty offensive sets go to die and games are decided by who wants it more in the final possessions. WKU, now 9-5 overall and 2-1 in the league, looked like they were cruising after a blistering first half where they shot 46% from the field and connected on 9 of 18 from deep, taking a 37-25 lead into the break and even stretching it to 15 early in the second.But anyone who follows this league knows a Tech squad coached by Talvin Hester is never out of it; they’re the ultimate grit-and-grind team, and they methodically chipped away, locking down WKU’s shooters and dominating the glass in a 9:44 stretch where the Hilltoppers didn’t make a single field goal. The Bulldogs finally drew even at 53 on a Kaden Cooper dunk and then, stunningly, took their first lead at 61-60 on a Melian Martinez jumper with just 60 seconds left, sending a wave of tension through Diddle.That’s when Hackman, who’d been reinserted with four fouls and nine minutes to play because, as coach Hank Plona said, “we had to have him out there,” truly saved the day. After Ryan Myers hit two free throws to retake the lead, Hackman iced the game with four straight from the charity stripe in the final 26 seconds, a testament to nerve under pressure.The final stats tell the story of two halves: WKU’s second-half shooting was an ugly 3-for-18 from three and 23% overall, but they won it at the line, going 12-of-14 (86%) after halftime. Teagan Moore was a steadying force with 19 points, 9 boards, and 4 dimes, while Myers added 13 and Grant Newell 12.For Louisiana Tech (8-6, 1-2), the loss stings because they fought so hard to come back, led by AJ Bates’ 13 points and Cooper’s 13 rebounds, but a disastrous 9-of-19 (47%) performance at the free-throw line was ultimately their undoing. This win is a massive character builder for a WKU team with postseason aspirations, proving they can win ugly and survive when their offense goes cold. The road gets tougher now with a swing through New Mexico State and UTEP, but for one Sunday afternoon, Hackman’s heroics provided the kind of March-like moment that fans remember—a player stepping up with the game on the line, fouls be damned, and delivering in the clutch.
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#Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
#Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
#LJ Hackman
#Conference USA
#college basketball
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