March 17, 2015 Basketball Section

BASKETBALL EXTRA MARCH 17, 2015 > WKUHERALD.COM > COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD

LET THE MADNESS

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NCAA WBB TOURNEY

friDAY, MARCH 20, 4 p.m.

#12 WKU #5

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TEXAS

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MARCH 17, 2015 • TOPPER EXTRA • WKUHERALD.COM

Hilltopper season ends with loss to UAB

BY BILLY RUTLEDGE

SPORTS@WKUHERALD.COM The WKU men’s basketball team has been here before— down one point with the final possession of the game. The Hilltoppers saw this same situation in last year's conference tournament.

This time, with 14 seconds left and down by one, WKU's season again hinged on the final play.

Sophomore guard Chris Harrison-Docks attempted a 3-pointer from the corner as time expired, but it wasn't meant to be. WKU was knocked out in the second round by the UAB Blazers 53-52 after a defensive slugfest that involved 13 lead changes.

"Thought our kids played with a lot of heart and should be proud," Head Coach Ray Harper said. "I'm proud of how they

Senior guard Trency Jackson (3) drives around Marshall's guard Tamron Manning (31) during the Topper's 59-45 win in the first round of the Conference USA tournament, Wednesday, March 11 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. MIKE CLARK/HERALD played and how they competed.

Two games, we give up 45 yester-

day and 53 today, so you do that you feel like you have a chance.

Unfortunately, today we didn't."

WKU led by four with 1:15 left, but slowly began to lose their grasp. Nick Norton pulled UAB within one with a 3-pointer with 52 seconds left. After a UAB timeout Robert Brown made the game-winning jumper with 19 seconds remaining, giving the Blazers their first lead since 6:18 left in the second half.

Senior George Fant dominated for WKU with a game-high 18 points and eight rebounds while Price finished with six points and a career-high nine assists. Jackson finishes his college basketball career with eight points after two made 3-pointers.

"I told them in the locker room they have meant a lot to this program. They have meant a lot to me," Harper said of the senior trio. "...It's always sad when you

walk into that locker room that last day. It’s the last game for your seniors, but at the same time these guys left it all out there tonight, which I knew they would."

WKU ends its season with a 2012 record, and the loss marks the first time in 10 years that WKU failed to advance to the conference tournament semi-finals.

"I'm a little emotional about our last game—this going down—going down with a loss," Fant said. "I can flashback coming in as a freshman playing in the tournament. Not really happy that we didn't make it again this year, but I'm happy to play with the guys I've played with over these last four years and Coach Harper and building the relationships I've had with these guys."

MARCH 17, 2015 • TOPPER EXTRA • WKUHERALD.COM

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Alexis Govan leads WKU through C-USA tournament

BY JONAH PHILLIPS SPORTS@WKUHERALD.COM With the Lady Toppers giving up double-digit leads in all three of their tournament games this past week in Birmingham, Alabama, the team was left begging for a player to take the reins and lead them through stretches of uncertainty throughout the tournament.

Senior Alexis Govan’s efforts in this respect were recognized by many at the tournament, as the senior was named the tournament MVP. “It’s whatever,” Govan said of being named the tournament MVP. “I asked my teammates to come out there with me but they didn’t, and I think that says it all.

I love my teammates, and they have put me in the position I am in.”

After missing last year’s Sun Belt Conference Tournament with a leg injury, Govan was available and provided that spark of composure and maturity the team was lacking in portions of their journey to the regular and post-season C-USA titles.

Clark-Heard said she saw a bit of herself in Alexis and the rest of the team when facing this adversity.

“When you are a family, you figure it out. Everybody steps up at different times and that is what this program has been about since I have been here. I really believe that is why we have been in the positions we have been in,” Clark-Heard said.

“Through adversity, we found a way.

Senior guard Alexis Govan (21) shoots a contested jumper during the team's Conference USA tournament semifinal matchup against Old Dominion University, Friday, March 13 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Despite leading by 22 points early in the first half, the game became closely contested in the final seconds. WKU would go on to win 61-59 and advance to the championship game, Saturday, March 14 against Southern Miss. LUKE FRANKE/HERALD

This tournament I saw who I am; I am very passionate. You all see how I coach— I push them all the time. Through these three games, I have seen myself through them, and they say your players are a reflection of you as a coach. That is what happened this weekend along with this season.”

Being the No. 1 seed in the tournament, WKU was able to enjoy a first round bye, but in their quarterfinal matchup with Charlotte, the Lady Toppers led by as much as 16 with roughly nine minutes to play, before allowing the 49ers to come back and tie the game at 65 with 2:20 to play.

Govan led the Lady Toppers through this near collapse and ended with a gamehigh 21 points (11 in the second half).

The following day, the Lady Toppers found themselves leading by even more, at 22 over Old Dominion, yet still managed to squander the advantage as the Lady Monarchs dominated the second half and tied the game at 48 with again roughly nine minutes left to play.

The teams traded blows, and ODU was even able to build to a five-point lead late in the game, though the Lady Monarchs’ final lead was at 53-51 with 5:14 to play before the Lady Toppers took final control.

Govan hit two free throws with 6.8 seconds left to secure the victory, giving the Lady Tops a two-point advantage that they wouldn’t let go of. Govan finished with a team-high 17 points.

In the championship match, WKU built up to a 14-point lead in the first half and entered the break with a 35-24 advantage over Southern Miss before having that lead completely erased. Govan, again, netting game-winning free throws, gave the Lady Tops the edge in the final seconds of the game.

“You know the saying ‘big-time players make big-time plays,’ and that’s what she did,” WKU Athletic Director Todd Stewart said. “She has ice water in her veins, and she wants the ball when the game is on the line, and she hit the free throws when it all mattered the most.”

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MARCH 17, 2015 • TOPPER EXTRA • WKUHERALD.COM

LEADING

LADIES The Lady Toppers' bench reacts to a foul call in the final seconds of their 61-59 win over Old Dominion in the semifinal round of the Conference USA Tournament, Friday, March 13 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

The NCAA tournament seeding was announced Monday, March 16.

MIKE CLARK/HERALD

MARCH 17, 2015 • TOPPER EXTRA • WKUHERALD.COM

PAGE 5 WKU Head Coach Michelle Clark-Heard speaks to the Lady Toppers during their 61-59 win over Old Dominion in the semifinal round of the Conference USA Tournament Friday, March 13 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

MIKE CLARK/HERALD

WKU senior forward George Fant hugs his fiancé WKU senior forward Chastity Gooch after the Lady Topper's 60-57 win over Southern Miss in the championship game of the Conference USA tournament, Saturday, March 14 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

Gooch helped the Toppers with 18 points in the game and was named to the All-Tournament team.

The Lady Toppers secured an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament with the win.

MIKE CLARK/HERALD

WKU senior guard Chastity Gooch fights for the opening tip during the Conference USA championship game against Southern Mississippi at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, Saturday, March 14 LUKE FRANKE/HERALD

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MARCH 17, 2015 • TOPPER EXTRA • WKUHERALD.COM

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MARCH 17, 2015 • TOPPER EXTRA • WKUHERALD.COM

Senior forward George Fant looks to pass around Marshall center JP Kambola during WKU's 59-45 win in the first round of the Conference USA tournament, Wedneday, March 11 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. MIKE CLARK/HERALD

THE END OF AN ERA:

Price and Fant say goodbye

BY BILLY RUTLEDGE SPORTS@WKUHERALD.COM

T

hursday night marked the end of an era for the WKU basketball program. A 53-52 loss to UAB was the last game that seniors T.J. Price, George Fant and Trency Jackson will play as Hilltoppers.

With every season, teams lose players due to graduation or other factors, but WKU will be losing two historic stars that have started since their freshman years. Price and Fant have been the faces of Hilltopper

basketball over the past four years and their departure is a loss that the team and the Bowling Green community will feel greatly.

"I told them in the locker room, they have meant a lot to this program. They have meant a lot to me," Head Coach Ray Harper said of the senior trio. "They are going to be great. I know when they leave the university they are all going to have a diploma in their hands in May. People who have had the opportunity to watch them, I know about their character, they are tough kids.

SEE PRICE & FANT PAGE 8

PAGE 8 PRICE & FANT Continued from PAGE 7

It's always sad when you walk into that locker room that last day. It’s the last game for your seniors, but at the same time these guys left it all out there tonight, which I knew they would. Proud of what they have meant to WKU basketball."

Fant ends his career near the top of two coveted leaderboards. He finishes his WKU career with 1,621 points, good for 13th on WKU's all-time career scoring list and 894 rebounds which ranks eighth on WKU all-time career rebounds list. Fant neared the top of another WKU greats list, as he is placed fourth on the career games started at WKU with 122 starts.

The Warren Central High School grad started all four years before choosing to stay in his hometown of Bowling Green as a three-star prospect. Fant quickly made an impact for WKU, starting 24 games and was second on the team in points (10.4), rebounds (6.1) and steals (29).

Fant's stats climbed every year that he has been at WKU increasing his points per game from 12.8 PPG in his sophomore campaign, 13.3 PPG in his junior year and 13.8 PPG in his final season, his

MARCH 17, 2015 • TOPPER EXTRA • WKUHERALD.COM coming in as a freshman playing in the tournament. Not really happy that we didn't make it again this year, but I'm happy to play with the guys I've played with over these last four years and coach Harper and building the relationships I've had with these guys."

The other half of the greatness that WKU was able to find was in a guard from Slidell, Louisiana. Almost committed to play defensive end in football, Price found a home at WKU the same time as Fant and became an important piece of the Hilltopper puzzle.

Price, like Fant, made an immediate impact his freshman season starting 20 games while averaging 27.9 minutes per game. The guard continued to develop his game and was looked upon by WKU as their primary scorer in the coming years.

Price went on to lead the Hilltoppers in scoring his next three seasons. Price averaged 15.2, 15.5 and a C-USA best 17.1 PPG in his college career. His mark this season is the most by a Hilltopper at the end of a season since Courtney Lee averaged 20.4 PPG in 2007-2008. He is also the first Hilltopper to lead their league in scoring since Jack Jennings in 1991-1992.

I told them in the locker room, they have meant a lot to this program. They have meant a lot to me.”

first in C-USA. Fant has embodied WKU basketball for almost half a decade and in that time has become a celebrity in the city of Bowling Green. His love for basketball extends to the Lady Toppers as well— senior forward Chastity Gooch and Fant are engaged to be married this summer. The Hilltopper couple will both end their college basketball careers at the same time.

"I'm a little emotional about our last game—this going down—going down with a loss," Fant said. "I can flashback

Head Coach Ray Harper

Price finishes his WKU career with 1,782 points and in sixth place on the all-time WKU career scoring list, a mark that will live on for many years to come.

"I hate that we went out this way," Price told WBKO after his final game.

"We probably broke down a couple plays and that helped them to score. We broke down a couple of plays on offense, but it wasn't because of our effort. Everybody left it out there on the court and effort was fine."

"I think they both (Fant and Price) rank

WKU senior guard T.J. Price converts a layup against Marshall in the first half during the two teams’ first round Conference USA tournament matchup in Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama on Wednesday, March 11. The Hilltoppers would defeat Marshall handily by a score of 59-45. LUKE FRANKE/HERALD up among the biggest contributors we've ever had from both an individual and team standpoint," WKU Athletic Director Todd Stewart said. "Individually, T.J. is the No. 6 scorer all-time. I mean, you look at all the people that have played basketball at Western Kentucky, ranked sixth is pretty special. George, 13th in scoring and eighth in rebounding, so I mean, again, they leave a tremendous legacy from an individual standpoint, but they were winners also. They went to two NCAA tournaments and won 20

games their last three years. They didn't just achieve individual success at the expense of winning, and I think that's a true credit to both of them."

The duo have been a part of two Sun Belt Conference Championships, two NCAA tournament appearances and a revival of WKU basketball in their time on the Hill.

Fant and Price have anchored this team for almost half a decade. They will not soon be forgotten. On the contrary, they will be remembered in the hearts of WKU fans and high atop the record books.