3-2-21

Volume 96, Issue 19

Week of March 2, 2021

FIRST DRAFT New brewery offers relaxation and locally-made beer

COLLEGE HEIGHTS

HERALD

STORY ON PAGE 6 AND 7 PHOTO BY GUNNAR WORD

2 NEWS

Week of March 2, 2021

Pod schooling arrives in Bowling Green

By Michael Crimmins

The Chapel Hill Pod School recently opened in Bowling Green, providing a new method of learning which includes smaller student-to-teacher ratios and the potential for new student teaching opportunities.

Chapel Hill is a pod school, also called a micro school. Generally, this method of teaching involves no more than about a dozen students learning from one teacher on various subjects.

In a pod school, “learning is generally done through hands-on projects and small-group collaboration and is done with an eye toward student interest rather than grade level,” according to Education Week.

Kelli Linkis is the head of the school. She has a bachelor’s degree with a double major in education and English, a minor in biology and is first

aid/CPR certified. She also has experience in public and private school settings.

Chapel Hill caps student capacity at 15 students in order to provide a focused education that allows them to succeed with ease and confidence later in life, Linkis said.

Chapel Hill Pod School “recognizes that every child learns differently. Success is not a one size fits all,” according to the Chapel Hill website.

They offer customized and individual education for first through eighth grades, providing both secular and Christian learning. They also offer a one-on-one instruction to uncover the student’s method of achievement.

“Our elite private micro school is the only academic center in the greater Bowling Green area that provides a classical education within an independently customized structure,” Linkis said in an email. “This allows

us to meet the students on a more one-on-one basis. We have been able to provide consistent learning without interruptions or discontinuous instruction, which has benefited our students tremendously.”

The building offers approximately 3,000 square feet of learning divided into three sections: a learning pod, a recreation area and a lounge that provide offices for students, new laptops, physical activities and a place for personal items.

“Every student is expected to exhibit excellent behavior, determination, focus and effort,” Linkis said. “This allows our school to run smoothly and without distractions or issues not congruent with higher learning.”

Chapel Hill supports gifted learning, physical fitness training, English as a second language training, tutoring and summer camps. It doesn’t offer services for ADD/ADHD, ADS, or

learning disabilities.

Chapel Hill is open to the possibility of WKU students doing their student teaching at the school if WKU is open to allowing student teaching in this new model of education, Linkis said in an email.

She said that there is a rigorous application and acceptance process starting with a complete application followed by testing, individual orientation and an interview with the parents.

Usually, acceptance notifications are given within three days of all material being completed.

“Each student at The Chapel Hill Pod School has his/her curriculum designed specifically for individual aptitude, academic growth, and excellence,” Linkis said.

Michael Crimmins can be reached at michael.crimmins416@topper.wku. edu. Follow him on Twitter @michael_ crimm.

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P E AC E C O R P S .G OV/ WO R K

NEWS 3

Week of March 2, 2021

End of Muslim ban brings change to Bowling Green community

By Ellie Tolbert

The end of the federal Muslim ban has brought new opportunities to the Bowling Green community.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 27, 2017, banning “foreign nationals from seven predominantly Muslim countries from visiting the country for 90 days, suspended entry to the country of all Syrian refugees indefinitely and prohibit any other refugees from coming into the country for 120 days.”

On Jan. 21, President Joe Biden repealed the ban in order to promote a tone of religious acceptance and racial justice he promises to continue throughout his presidency.

Bowling Green has become a center for immigration in Kentucky. Albert Mbanfu, executive director of the International Center of Kentucky, said part of the reason is because of the work the International Center does. The center works to resettle immigrants and refugees, and the program receives aid from the federal government to bring immigrants to the city.

He also said it is because of Bowling Green’s hospitable community. The people of Bowling Green are welcoming to strangers, especially with a state university that brings new people to the community every year.

The last reason is because of the wide availability of jobs. Mbanfu said there are an array of jobs offered in Bowling Green, many of which are manufacturing jobs that often seek out immigrants.

Just like many cities across

the U.S., Bowling Green will see various effects from the repeal of the ban. Mbanfu said the Muslim population in Bowling Green makes up about half the immigrant community.

“This will come as a sigh of relief to the Muslim community,” Mbanfu said.

The ban was met with contention when it was first ordered in 2017. Mbanfu, as well as others at the International Center, protested the order. Mbanfu said there were refugees waiting for their families to travel to Bowling Green, but after the ban their flights were canceled.

“It caused a lot of stress on their loved ones,” Mbanfu said. “It also created a deep resentment amongst the Muslim community.”

Mbanfu expects the repeal of the ban to have an economic effect on Bowling Green as well, especially since many Muslim immigrants in the city are business owners.

He said that productivity will increase if people are psychologically stable. With the ban in place, some Muslim immigrants were worried about their families. Without the ban, they’re left with one less stress on their life.

“There will be an increase in production, an increase in economic growth, and an increase in the standard of living,” Mbanfu said.

With the ban being lifted, Mbanfu said the International Center’s refugee resettlement program is open to all nationalities.

“I’m happy we can start the process to bring families together again,” Mbanfu said.

WKU will see an effect from Biden’s decision as well.

The university has a large international population because of the efforts of the International

JACK DOBBS

Bosnian Islamic Center of Bowling Green from behind the gates that line the premises.

Office. John Sunnygard, associate provost for Global Learning and International Affairs, said there are 218 international students, 120 of them from predominantly Muslim countries.

“There are many reasons [international students] come to WKU,” Sunnygard said. “Some are the good-quality education, personal education, good value and a welcoming, well-rounded community.”

Sunnygard said the ban and the rhetoric about Muslims in the U.S. had a significant effect on WKU. He specifically saw the numbers of international students drop in 2016.

“Before, we had over 400 Saudi students,” Sunnygard said. “Last year we had two Saudi student applications.”

Although he recognizes there are many factors that contribute to the drop in numbers, Sunnygard said the values we signal to the rest of the world are important in creating relationships with foreign

countries.

Sunnygard believes the executive order being revoked will ultimately be beneficial for WKU. The international population is usually near 50% from Muslim countries, so this will allow for more students to discover the university.

This will also change recruiting efforts from the International Office. Sunnygard said the pandemic has already moved recruiting international students to more virtual platforms, and now they have more options as to where to find students.

“It’s been a hard four years in terms of immigration,” Sunnygard said. “It allows us once again to highlight Bowling Green and Western Kentucky as very open and welcoming communities.”

Managing Editor Tolbert can be reached at eleanor.tolbert618@topper.wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @eleanortolbert4.

4 COMMUNITY

Week of March 2, 2021

Will the forgiveness of student debt help everyone?

By Loren Gaskin

Print edition published weekly

by WKU Student Publications at Western Kentucky University.

First copy: free | Additional copies: $1

EDITORIAL BOARD

Laurel Deppen Editor-in-chief Ellie Tolbert Managing editor Nick Fuller Digital director Lily Burris Assignment editor Michael J. Collins Digital news editor Nick Kieser Sports editor

Loren Gaskin Community editor Gabi Broekema Sam Mallon Multimedia editors Zachery McClain Social media manager Megan Fisher Design editor Hannah Crisp Copy desk chief

OTHER LEADERS AND ADVISERS Robin Robinson Distribution manager Brian Kehne Advertising manager Emma Spainhoward Cherry Creative director

Carrie Pratt Herald adviser Will Hoagland Advertising adviser Chuck Clark Student Publications director

POLICIES

Opinions expressed in the College Heights Herald are those of student editors and journalists and do not necessarily represent the views of WKU. Student editors determine all news and editorial content, and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions.

CONTACT US

REPORT AN ERROR: herald.editor@wku.edu 270-745-5044 NEWSROOM: herald.news@wku.edu 270-745-2653 or 270-745-5044 ADVERTISING: herald.advertising@wku.edu 270-745-6285 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: herald.opinion@wku.edu ON CAMPUS: Adams-Whitaker Student Publications Center, 1660 Normal St. ONLINE: WKUHerald.com NEWSLETTER: WKUHerald.com/newsletter SOCIAL MEDIA: • Twitter: @wkuherald, @wkuheraldsports • Facebook, Instagram: WKUHerald • YouTube: wkuheraldvideo • Tiktok: wkuherald

The Issue: Since the election of President Joe Biden there has been increasing conversation over the idea of forgiving at least a portion of student debt.

The Stance: Student debt forgiveness has been factually backed as an economical boost. It is time for the Biden administration to make this a priority.

At the end of 2020, students across the United States collectively owed over $1.7 trillion -- along with the average debt amount being $20,000 to $24,999, according to Business Insider. This is a growing issue for students who are feeling increasing pressure to attend a higher education institution.

In more economical terms this, translates to an increase of around “$86 billion to $108 billion a year, on average, to GDP,”

according to Business Insider.

Though this is something that means more than added GDP to the economy, this is an issue that people struggle with every day.

Forgiving student debt, even in partial amounts, is becoming increasingly important with the impact of COVID-19. With the lack of stimulus checks coming in for many Americans, there has been an economic struggle that can seem inescapable. Many people can not afford rent or pay their bills. This means that things such as paying back their student loans may be put off. These loans rack up immense amounts of interest that will make paying them off after people get back on their feet even harder.

With the forgiveness of student loans, there will be a great relief in the lives of millions of Americans. During the pandemic, this will allow these people to

get back on their feet financially.

After the pandemic, these same people will be able to begin spending this saved money in the economy, allowing for the growth of the nation and their communities.

Some will ask where this money could possibly come from. In my personal opinion, considering we recently signed a defense bill for over $700 billion, there is money out there for this.

So, however you look at this there is a massive benefit for every American in the relief of student debt, though my opinion is not the only one that matters.

What would student loan forgiveness do for you? How much would partial or complete forgiveness impact your life?

We would love to hear your opinion here: herald.opinion@ wku.edu.

FUN PAGE

WKU Herald 3/2/21 Trivia Puzzle

U Herald 3/2/21 Crossword

9

10

11

12

Movie Disasters

13

©2021 PuzzleJunction.com

1. In the movie Airport, what airport was coping with a blizzard?

16 (a) Lincoln International (b) Washington International (c) Jefferson International 19 2. In what body of water was the S S Poseidon when it capsized? (a) Indian Ocean (b) Mediterranean Sea (c) Atlantic Ocean 3. Where is the doomed skyscrapper located in The Towering 22 Inferno? (a) San Francisco (b) Chicago (c) Atlanta 26 4. Name the two space shuttles in Armageddon. (a) Liberty & Freedom (b) Victory & Liberty (c) Freedom & Independence 31 32 33 34 5. In The Swarm, what southern city is attacked by killer bees? (a) Miami (b) Houston (c ) New Orleans 6. What Los Angeles landmark is destroyed by aliens in 40 Indpendence Day? (a) Century Plaza Tower (b) Wilshire Grand Tower (c) U.S. Bank 43 Tower 7. What caused the destruction of the airship in The Hindenburg? (a) Lightning (b) Terrorist bomb (c) Static electricity 47 48 8. What caused the crew to forego a lunar landing in Apollo 13? (a) Oxygen tank explosion (b) Computer malfunction 51 52 (c) Thruster explosion WKU Herald 3/2/21 Sudoku 9. In1Earthquake, how do the main characters die? (a) Crushed by debris (b) In a fire (c) By a flood WKU Herald 9/8/20 Sudoku 110. What disaster parody has people trying to get from New York Puzzle to Denver?

60 61 62 63 (a) Airplane (b) The Big Bus (c) Supertrain

8 6

8 12

3

6

1 8

5 7

2 9 4 26 4 8 33 9 1 4 6 57 61 5 9 7 7

1

4 5 9 6 3

8

8

1 2 1

3 5

5 4

Solution©2020 PuzzleJunction.com Copyright

Copyright ©2021 PuzzleJunction.com

A L B A

G A L S

P A R S T I N R E R E Y E A S P I T G H T

Solution

E D R O G A I N O W E L S L Y

1.a 2.b L L I 3.a A I S D R I 4.c E A S 5.b N

PuzzleJunction.com

O V E N

R O N A V E H E W R E A S L T U G M O T D A L H A E R A A G O S U C S E A

S E P T

A L A

6.c 7.b 8.a 9.c 10.b

A L Solution I C Sudoku W O N T L O G O

Sudoku F O R Solution

zle

G U R U

M I N I T C L E N G F U A B E O R A T W N E E A L I C T R U T L E P A O B O R I N I S E T

2 8 9 3 1 4 6 5 7

A L O U D

1 4 5 6 7 2 8 3 9

P A R K A

7 6 3 8 9 5 2 1 4

Last week's crossword solution:

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

9 3 4 2 6 7 1 8 5

43 Wide of the mark 45 Put on board 46 Sailor’s affirmative 47 The land of ___ 50 Worthy principles 52 Flowering shrub 54 Smelly smoke 55 Set straight 56 Downhill racer 57 Toxic element 59 Black, to poets 61 Tumbled 62 Olympics jump 63 Puerto ___ 64 Monk’s title 65 Guy’s date 67 Hog haven

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

5 2 8 4 3 1 9 7 6

67

6 7 1 5 8 9 4 2 3

15 14 OPEC land Bursts 18 17 Mouselike animal 20 21 Little rascal Stead 23 24 25 Declare openly Third canonical 27 28 29 30 hour 36 37 38 39 35 Exuberance Shoestring 42 41 Letter opener Query 45 46 44 Majority 49 50 Blackguard Beget 53 54 55 Beneficial Team supporter?

56 57 58 59 Starch source 64 65 66 Break loose Epoch 69 70 68 Goodyear product Elementary 72 73 71 particle Copyright ©2021 PuzzleJunction.com Many a tournament 10 Appraises 69 Eagerly excited Self center 11 Face shape 70 Vote into office Asian skiff 12 Wrestling hold 71 Interjects Guitar part 13 Merino mother 72 City between Blue moon, e.g.

Boston and Salem 22 Scottish hillside Unrefined 24 Stein contents 73 Fusion Executes 26 Rascal Wood-dressing 27 Unqualified Down tool 28 Goat-like antelope Whole bunch 29 Kind of message 1 Mil. transport Address book 30 Other side 2 Like some drinks abbr.

32 Bay of Naples isle 3 Unadorned Miles away 4 Gym site 33 Curved moldings Dog pest 5 Short synopsis 34 Tither’s amount Mongolian 37 Mobile device 6 Implore expanse card 7 Perfume All of the words 38 Bluecoat ingredients in a language 39 Gasteyer of “Mean 8 Valleys’ chums Not fake Girls” 9 Catch some rays

©2021 PuzzleJunction.com

68

8

8 5 6 9 2 3 7 4 1

66

7

Movie Disasters

60 64 65

6

4 9 7 1 5 8 3 6 2

56 58

5

3 1 2 7 4 6 5 9 8

44 45 48 49 51 53 55

4

1. In the movie Airport, what airport was coping with a blizzard? (a) Lincoln International (b) Washington International (c) Jefferson International 2. In what body of water was the S S Poseidon when it capsized? (a) Indian Ocean (b) Mediterranean Sea (c) Atlantic Ocean 3. Where is the doomed skyscrapper located in The Towering Inferno? (a) San Francisco (b) Chicago (c) Atlanta 4. Name the two space shuttles in Armageddon. (a) Liberty & Freedom (b) Victory & Liberty (c) Freedom & Independence 5. In The Swarm, what southern city is attacked by killer bees? (a) Miami (b) Houston (c ) New Orleans 6. What Los Angeles landmark is destroyed by aliens in Indpendence Day? (a) Century Plaza Tower (b) Wilshire Grand Tower (c) U.S. Bank Tower 7. What caused the destruction of the airship in The Hindenburg? (a) Lightning (b) Terrorist bomb (c) Static electricity 8. What caused the crew to forego a lunar landing in Apollo 13? (a) Oxygen tank explosion (b) Computer malfunction (c) Thruster explosion 9. In Earthquake, how do the main characters die? (a) Crushed by debris (b) In a fire (c) By a flood 10. What disaster parody has people trying to get from New York to Denver? (a) Airplane (b) The Big Bus (c) Supertrain

43

3

Solution

18 19 20 21 22 23 25 27 31 35 36 40 41 42

2

6.c 7.b 8.a 9.c 10.b

1 6 10 14 15 16 17

1

1.a 2.b 3.a 4.c 5.b

Across

PuzzleJunction.com

PHOTO

Week of March 2, 2021 Local Bowling Green couple Mirah Hughes and Justin Ortega enjoy a brew at the Gasper Brewing Company's grand opening. "I really like it and I think it's great for the local community and not just for college students,” Hughes said.

A DRAFT OF FRESH BEER PHOTOS AND WORDS BY GUNNAR WORD

Gasper Brewing Company, 302 State St., opened its doors for the first time this weekend as a new place for adults and students to relax and enjoy locally-made beer.

Gasper had its grand opening last Saturday, Feb. 26, with a great turnout of hundreds of brew enthusiasts who were able to enjoy live musical entertainment from groups such as a local jazz group called “The Menagerie” and more.

Gasper owners Isaiah and DeAnna King celebrated their grand opening.

Isaiah King decided to turn his hobby into a full-time profession last year, leaving behind his former job of being a mechanical engineer and becoming a full-time brewery owner with his wife.

“I am so happy for Isaiah and his wife on opening their brewery, and their beer is really good too,” Quentin Miller, a friend of the owner, said.

Customers were glad to see the brewery open to give Bowling Green more than just the college bar scene.

A long line of guests wait to get into Gasper Brewing Company during the brewing company’s grand opening on Feb. 27.

Gasper Brewing Company co-owner Isaiah King shows that he isn't afraid to get behind the taps and pour a beer or two for his new customers and friends at his grand opening on Feb. 27.

At the Gasper Brewing Company in Bowling Green, husband-wife team owners Isaiah and DeAnna King make their own ales and stouts in house and put them on tap for quick distribution to customers.

The Hingle family and friends enjoy an array of brews at the grand opening of the Gasper Brewing Company on Feb. 27.

"We are all really glad to have something new in Bowling Green,” the Hingles agreed.

8 NEWS

Week of March 2, 2021

New bill affects student loan borrowers' rights

By Lily Burris

A new House of Representatives bill centered on student loan borrowers’ rights is being considered by the Kentucky legislature.

House Bill 239 is titled “AN ACT relating to student loan services.”

One of the sponsors of the bill is WKU history professor and State Rep. Patti Minter, who describes the bill as the “student loan borrowers’ bill of rights.”

If the bill passes, it will go into effect in 2022.

Minter said she talked to her students about what they’re dealing with, and one of the things that came up was the amount of student loan debt they face. Additionally, she spoke with friends in their 30s, 40s and 50s who are still paying off student loan debt.

“The commonality between all of these people that I’ve been having conversations with is that the deck is stacked,” Minter said. “The student loan industry and student loan servicers in Kentucky are not regulated.”

According to the WKU Fact Book 2020, more than $82 million was taken out in loans by students.

This makes up 43% of the student financial assistance awarded in the 2019-20 school year.

The bill creates transparency around interest rates on loans and creates an office of the ombudsman for student loans, Minter said. The ombudsman acts as an advocate for student loan borrowers and could help them resolve issues with their servicers.

Other industries, like mortgage lending, have regulators to prevent and fight against predatory loan practices.

“Full disclosure, transparency, good common-sense regulation, and creating an oversight system — those are really the key things that this bill does,” Minter said.

For new student borrowers, loan

servicers would have to follow the new regulations, and the ombudsman would be there to provide oversight and advocate for these students. Current student borrowers would be able to go to the ombudsman for assistance with their loans in the future.

This is the first time a bill like this has been brought to the legislation, Minter said. Twelve other states have passed laws like this, including Connecticut and New York.

Higher Education Student Loan Corporation, known as KHESLC. These are sister agencies and share things like a CEO and board of directors.

KHEAA is the state guarantor and guarantees that all student loans in Kentucky will be paid, Meredith Geraci said, director of Marketing and Communications for KHEAA. KHESLC is the state-based private loan lender and administers private loans in Kentucky.

“We’re always advocating to the

“We know it works, and we know that it can help student borrowers and has helped student borrowers by leveling the playing field in other states,” Minter said. “It’s time to bring that to Kentucky, and now what I’m trying to do is build support.”

In the state, there is the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority, known as KHEAA, and the Kentucky

legislature to try and get more money for our grants because that money is tied to the state legislature,” Geraci said. “We’re always continuing to push for increased amounts for our grants, scholarship, and unfortunately, student aid overall has not kept pace with the increase in educational costs.”

Most loans are set to take about 10 years to pay off, but other payment

plans are available. Geraci said they will always advise you to apply for a federal loan, grant or scholarship before a private loan.

Some private loans are fixed rate loans, which means the interest rate will not change over time. Other loans are variable rate loans, which means the interest changes with the market over times. Other factors that go into paying off loans include whether or not the borrower put the loan on hold at any point.

“Our advice to borrowers is always to educate yourself on the loans, and all of the repayment options, and that we advocate for folks to borrow responsibly,” Geraci said.

Lots of different states are enacting bills like HB 239, but there’s not a lot of coordination, meaning servicers don’t have consistent legislation to follow. Geraci said servicers, like KHESLC, must keep spreadsheets of the different laws and regulations for all the different states.

KHEAA and KHESLC are borrowercentric state agencies and focus on what is good for the borrowers, Geraci said. Groups like Sallie Mae and Discover are trying to make a profit on the loans they service and do not follow all the federal regulations.

“Student debt has increased as the cost of higher education has increased,” Minter said. “The state government has a responsibility to appropriate more money to higher education, so that tuition rates can be reduced. But until that happens, people will be borrowing money for their education, and so people borrow a lot of money for education.”

Assignment Editor Lily Burris can be reached at lily.burris203@topper. wku.edu. Follow her on Twitter @ lily_burris.

SPORTS 9

Week of March 2, 2021

Lady Toppers set to open home slate against FIU

By Ian Fleischman

The Lady Toppers (2-1), (1-0, CUSA) are set to play their first home game of the season against FIU (2-3) on March 4 at 6 p.m.

WKU is riding on a two-game winning streak, hoping it will continue against Conference USA opponent FIU. The Lady Toppers have shown resilience this season, and senior defender Avery Jacobsen is a key component for their success so far. Coming off a C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honor for her spectacular play against Southern Illinois one week ago, Jacobsen lit up the field against Middle Tennessee with one goal and an assist.

Another notable Lady Topper is junior midfielder Ambere Barnett. She has been a huge component on the Lady Toppers' offensive side with two

goals and one assist in the last two games. Look for her to keep creating more shots on the goal Thursday against the Lady Panthers.

The Lady Panthers are coming off a two-game losing streak, and they will be playing their first conference game after having their Marshall game postponed.

The Lady Panthers junior midfielder Ronja Cronvall has been a solid asset this season, scoring two goals in their past three games. Look for her to be creating shots on the goal for the Lady Panthers.

The Lady Panthers can turn their season around with a win against the Lady Toppers. The key to the game for the Lady Toppers is their top-notch defense. If the Lady Panthers can get the best of the Lady Topper defense and prevent Jacobsen and Barnett from taking shots they will be in good shape.

WKU ATHLETICS

The WKU Hilltoppers took on the Old Dominion Monarchs on Sunday Oct. 6, 2019, at the WKU Soccer Complex.

The Lady Toppers will then continue their homestand against Centre College on March 6 at 3 p.m. Centre College will have played their season opener against Depauw on March 2 at 4:30 p.m.

Centre College hasn’t played since 2019 when they went (21-0-1), (7-0, SAA). It looks to be a dangerous adversary for the Lady Toppers as they have many experienced players from their 2019 team returning.

The Lady Toppers will have to do their best to shut down senior forward Alana Hughes who tallied 24 goals and 20 assists in Centre College’s 2019 campaign. If they don’t manage to shut her down, Centre College could potentially snap the Lady Toppers’ winning streak.

Centre College will have their work cut out for them as well as dealing with a Lady Topper team that’s playing at a high level. Look for Jacobsen and Barnett to be utilized heavily for the Lady Toppers' gameplan to stretch their winning-streak.

Soccer beat reporter Ian Fleis-

chman can be reached at ian.fleischman583@topper.wku.edu. Follow him on Twitter @ian_fleischman.

FAHAD ALOTAIBI WKU Lady topper forward Ansley Cate (20) advance towards the box while being defended

by Louisiana Tech Forward Kaylee Zettler (22) during the game at the WKU Soccer Complex on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019.

10 SPORTS

Week of March 2, 2021

Lady Toppers split series at FIU, one week left

By Drew Toennies

The Lady Toppers (7-13), (6-8, C-USA) will be on the road to play the Old Dominion Monarchs (8-10), (5-9, C-USA) for their final conference series of the season.

The two teams were initially scheduled to face off Jan. 29-30, but the series was postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests within the Monarchs’ program.

The Lady Toppers finished their series against the FIU Panthers, taking game one 66-56 but losing game two 82-79.

The Monarchs split their series against the MTSU Blue Raiders, crushing MTSU 74-57 in game one but falling short 74-70 in game two.

ODU senior Victoria Morris is the 11th best scorer in the conference and the Monarchs’ best offensive player as she averages 15.9 points per game and has scored as many as 255 points this season. Morris’ best performance this season was against VCU, where she dropped 31 points.

Monarch junior Amari Young is the 15th best scorer in the conference and another offensive player on the Monarchs’ roster. Young averages 14.4 points per game and has dropped 202 points this season.

Young’s season high was against Charlotte where she dropped 24 points.

One of the Lady Toppers best offensive players is senior Raneem Elgedawy who regularly averages 21.8 points per game and has scored as many as 262 points this season. Elgedawy tied her careerhigh 29 points this season in a series against the Rice Owls.

WKU junior Meral Abdelgawad is coming off a career-high performance against FIU where she scored 29 points, beating her previous career high of 26 points.

Abdelgawad regularly averages 10.4 points per game and has scored 207 points this season.

WKU freshman Hope Sivori is another player the Monarchs will need to keep in check. Sivori averages 10.0 points per game and has scored 200 points in her first season as a Lady Topper. Sivori’s best performance was against the LA Tech Lady Techsters where she dropped 23 points.

The Lady Toppers will be heading to Norfolk, Virginia, to take on the Monarchs this weekend to conclude their regular season. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.

Women’s basketball beat reporter Drew Toennies can be reached at drew.toennies900@topper.wku.edu.

Follow him on Twitter @drew_toennies.

WKU guard Meral Abdelgawad (40) fights to hold onto the ball against ALLIE HENDRICKS FAU guard Iggy Allen (2) at the game at Diddle Arena on Feb. 5, 2021. WKU won 71 to 64.

Good money. Little time. Great cause.

WKU forward Raneem ALLIE HENDRICKS Elgedawy (15) holds onto the ball from FAU guard Rita Pleskevich (2) and forward Amber Gaston (32) during their game on Feb. 5.

State ID or DL | Proof of Social Security | Proof of Address 410 Old Morgantown Rd. Bowling Green, KY www.bplplasma.com

12 SPORTS

Week of March 2, 2021

Hilltoppers claim back-to-back sweeps, Old Dominion up next

By Kaden Gaylord

WKU (17-5), (10-2, C-USA) will have a short week of preparation after sweeping the Florida International Panthers Sunday and Monday afternoon. WKU won both games by an average of 22.5 points.

Junior big man Charles Bassey became the 52nd player in WKU history to reach 1,000 career points Friday.

“Just being among those people, it’s great, it's a good feeling,” Bassey said. “I didn't know until I saw it pop up on social media. I hope I just keep doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

The Hilltoppers will return home this weekend for its last series of Conference USA regular season play against Old Dominion. By the end of the week, the Hilltoppers will have played five games in eight days.

“Taking care of our bodies, getting water, getting the amount of sleep that we need [is important for the week],” sophomore guard Jordan Rawls said.

This matchup was originally supposed to be played Jan. 29-30 but was postponed due to positive COVID-19 cases within the Monarchs program.

ODU is currently (14-6), (10-4, CUSA) and is on a three-game winning streak. They boast a 9-1 record at home but are 5-5 on the road.

ODU has three players that average double-digit scoring per game.

The Monarchs are led by senior guard Malik Curry who averages a team-high 15 points per game, along with four rebounds and leads the team in assists.

Junior forward Kalu Ezipke has 11 points and seven rebounds per game.

Redshirt senior guard A.J. Oliver ll follows with 10 points while shooting 90% from the free throw line.

Although ODU boasts a good record, they sit in the bottom four of the conference, scoring 69.33 points

a game an give up 69.17 points — meaning they only win on an average margin of .16 points per game.

Where ODU can cause problems is on the defensive end. They average seven steals a game and can provide a good amount of pressure that could affect a WKU team who can be turnover-prone at times.

The Monarchs are the worst three-point shooting team in the league, shooting under 30% for the season. Due to their inability to shoot from behind the arc, they focus on getting to the rim or shooting mid-range shots, which could play into WKU’s favor.

“They have that same veteran crew out there,” head coach Rick Stansbury said. "We know they are a very good team, they'll be a tough team defensively, and they get up into you. We know we have our work cut out for us.”

WKU struggles defensively guarding teams behind the arc, being able to shrink the floor knowing they have the size advantage should work in their favor.

With wins in both games, or a split, WKU will lock up the No. 1 seed in the east division for the upcoming C-USA conference tournament.

Both games will be inside Diddle Arena. Friday night’s game starts at 7 p.m., and Saturday’s tipoff will be at 4 p.m. Both games will be broadcasted on the CBS Sports Network and on the CBSSN Facebook page.

Men’s basketball beat reporter Kaden Gaylord can be reached at kaden.gaylord559@topper. wku.edu. Follow Kaden on Twitter at @_KLG3.

GUNNAR WORD WKU’s Charles Bassey (23) scores on a fast break play as WKU Hilltoppers pick up the win 58-91 during their game against the FIU Panthers.