Preview: Sam Houston at Western Kentucky

HADLEY, Ky. (Interstat) — A pair of teams looking to build momentum for the Conference USA schedule will meet Friday afternoon when the Sam Houston Bearkats visit the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at E.A. Diddle Arena.

Sam Houston (8-4) enters on a high note after a dominant 117-57 victory over Biblical Stud. on Sunday. The Bearkats have won three of their last four, including an 85-75 road win at Oregon State on Dec. 17.

Western Kentucky (7-5) seeks to rebound from a 78-67 loss at Jacksonville State on Monday. The Hilltoppers have dropped three of their last four contests, with each defeat coming by 10 points or fewer.

The matchup features two of the conference’s top performers. Sam Houston is led by forward Isaiah Manning, who is coming off a career game with 27 points and 10 rebounds in just 25 minutes against Biblical Stud. Over his last four games, Manning is averaging 14 points and 6.5 rebounds.

Western Kentucky will counter with guard Teagan Moore, who has been a consistent scorer. Moore is averaging 13.2 points over his last five games, including a 17-point effort in the loss to Jacksonville State.

Sam Houston’s recent success has been fueled by balanced contributions. In the win over Biblical Stud., Matt Dann posted 12 points and 15 rebounds, while Veljko Ilic added 16 points and nine boards.

Western Kentucky’s Armelo Boone provides a secondary scoring threat, coming off an 18-point performance Monday. The Hilltoppers will need to improve defensively after allowing 78 points or more in three of their last four losses.

This game opens a critical January stretch for both programs as they dive into conference play. The teams will meet again in Huntsville, Texas, on Jan. 24.

Friday’s contest tips off at 8 p.m. EST.