Senior forward Arnika Brown scored 16 points and pulled in a school-record 24 rebounds, pushing the Lady Toppers to an 83-78 overtime win over Arkansas State Wednesday night in Diddle Arena. ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/Herald

Arkansas State may have dominated the Lady Toppers in the final minutes of regulation on Wednesday night, but overtime belonged to Arnika Brown.

The senior forward scored Western’s first eight points and pulled down seven rebounds in the extra period, and the Lady Toppers (16-8, 10-3 Sun Belt Conference) gutted out an 83-78 win in Diddle Arena.

Brown finished with 16 points and a school-record 24 rebounds, breaking her own record of 21 set last season against Florida International.

“We penetrated more, and we went inside more,” Head Coach Mary Taylor Cowles said. “Arnika hadn’t touched the ball in probably 10 minutes in regulation, and then we go into overtime … and she was just phenomenal. We got her the basketball in ways that she could score and be productive for us.”

It seemed with eight minutes left that forcing overtime would not even be a consideration for the Lady Toppers.

A layup by sophomore forward Teranie Thomas gave Western a 64-51 advantage at the 8:02 mark, but that’s when Arkansas State (10-15, 5-9 SBC) began to chip away at the lead.

The Red Wolves outscored Western 20-7 over the final minutes of regulation and tied the game at 71-71 on a free throw by Lyndsay Schlup with 31 seconds remaining.

The Lady Toppers had two chances to win — a three-pointer by junior guard Amy McNear with three seconds left and a desperation heave by Brown at the buzzer — but both were no good.

McNear had been in the driver’s seat until Arkansas State’s decisive run, scoring nine second-half points that helped Western break out to a double-digit lead.

But Cowles said the Lady Toppers hit a wall when the Red Wolves made a defensive adjustment into a matchup zone.

“We looked like a deer in the headlights,” Cowles said. “We looked like we didn’t know it, and … they’ve got three or four things they’re going to throw at you. It wasn’t a secret. We just froze.”

McNear said the switch took her out of her offensive game, but that the Lady Toppers were able to stay afloat by adjusting themselves.

“It kind of stopped me a little bit from penetrating like I was doing in the beginning of the second half,” McNear said. “I just took my time and found my teammates, and they got open shots.”

Arkansas State led by as many as five points with 5:06 left in the first half, but Western finished on a 9-2 run to take a 37-35 lead into halftime.

The Lady Toppers quickly amassed a lead in the second half but came up empty-handed on nine of their last 12 possessions in regulation.

Fortunately, they were much more efficient in overtime.

Brown scored four straight baskets for Western to open a 79-76 lead, senior guard Kenzie Rich made a layup, and senior forward Dominique Duck later netted two free throws with 17 seconds remaining to ice the game.

ASU Head Coach Brian Boyer was pleased with the decisive second-half run, but said that Western came up with the spurt that proved most important.

“It would have been easy to roll over (down 13),” Boyer said. “We kept fighting to give ourselves a chance, and unfortunately, the final push of the game was theirs, which we weren’t able to answer.”

The Lady Toppers shot 42.5 percent for the game to ASU’s 45.2 percent, but they recorded 18 more shots and out-rebounded the Red Wolves 51-37.

McNear led all scorers with 21 points, while Duck had 15 points and nine rebounds.

Rich added 14 points, and Thomas pitched in seven.

Four players scored in double figures for ASU, led by Sherina Scott and Meghan Lewis’ 18 points each.

Western next hits the road for a game at Arkansas-Little Rock on Saturday.

Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Ark.

North Texas junior guard Niq'ky Hughes and WKU sophomore forward Vanessa Obafemi dive for the ball before it goes out of bounds during the second half at diddle arena. ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/Herald

The Lady Toppers are proving they can rebound in more ways than one.

Sure, they average two more boards per game than their opponents.

But they’re also showing that they can shake off their worst home loss in years with style.

After taking an 88-63 shellacking at the hands of Middle Tennessee in Diddle Arena Sunday, Western (12-8, 6-3 Sun Belt Conference) bounced back with a 101-53 win over North Texas Wednesday night.

So how did the Lady Toppers go from their worst loss in Diddle under Head Coach Mary Taylor Cowles to their second-largest home win in a matter of four days?

Cowles said it comes down to playing 100 percent at all times.

“Monday’s practice was incredible,” she said. “They were so focused. They were very high energy, and that right there set the tone for what they were able to do (on Wednesday).”

After what Cowles called a “disgusting loss” against Middle Tennessee, Western dogged North Texas from the tip, forcing the Mean Green to commit 31 turnovers and shoot 55.2 percent for the game.

Senior forward Arnika Brown said the biggest factor for the opposite outcomes was a difference in determination.

“We pretty much knew Sunday wasn’t what we expected,” Brown said. “Sure, we knew what we wanted (Wednesday), and we just came out and played from the tip. It wasn’t anything special. We just came out and played.”

WKU sophomore forward Keisha Mosley grabs a rebound over North Texas defenders during the second half at Diddle arena Wednesday 27, 2010. Mosley would lead Western in their 101-53 victory against North Texas with 20 points. ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/ Herald

One thing Cowles said she thinks may be helping the team’s refocused efforts is the beginning of the spring school semester.

Senior guard Kenzie Rich said the practice-game monotony of winter break can create some cabin fever, and the players can even become a little sick of each other.

“The winter break is so long,” she said. “All we do is practice, and then we go back to the hotel. Now we’re getting used to … going to class, then coming straight to practice, so we’re trying to get back into that routine.”

And it’s a routine that Cowles hopes isn’t broken by any more lapses in focus like the MTSU loss.

“We were just bad, especially defensively,” she said. “We were bad at both ends of the floor and just didn’t have any carryover from preparation to game time.”

But with school in session and the number of regular season games left dwindling, many of the players, including Rich, can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“Coach Cowles just said that Senior Day will be here before we know it,” Rich said. “It’s crazy, because I honestly feel like the season just started.

“We have great fan support. A lot of my family can come to games, which means a lot to me, so I’m looking forward to the next few home games we have.”

All of the Lady Toppers have vowed to make the most of the remaining games before postseason play.

But for now, sophomore forward Keisha Mosley said they have to continue to bring the same fire that they showed for 40 minutes against North Texas.

“Everybody came out and did their part, and we’ve got to continue to do that, not just in different games,” she said. “We’ve got to continue to progress.”

Western next hosts New Orleans at 1 p.m. Sunday in Diddle.

Western sophomore forward Keisha Mosley grabs a rebound over North Texas defenders Wednesday night during the second half of the Lady Toppers' 101-53 victory over North Texas at Diddle Arena. Mosley led Western with 20 points. ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/ Herald

After suffering the worst home loss of her career on Sunday, Head Coach Mary Taylor Cowles said she warned the Lady Toppers that a similar effort wouldn’t be enough moving forward.

Message received.

Western (12-8, 6-3 Sun Belt Conference) jumped all over North Texas out of the gate on Wednesday night, routing the Mean Green 101-53 in Diddle Arena.

The victory was the second largest during Cowles’ tenure, following a 91-40 rout of North Texas on Feb. 9, 2005.

“Probably the most impressive thing for us about this win was the fact that we were really able to go to and use our bench and allow several individuals good playing time, and we really didn’t see a drop off with what we were trying to accomplish,” Cowles said. “For a coaching staff, that’s a really, really positive thing.”

Every Lady Topper made their presence felt in the win.

All 14 active players on the roster recorded minutes – including freshman walk-on guard Tara Arnold – and all but three scored in the game.

Western’s bench outscored the entire North Texas team 57-53, and senior forward Arnika Brown said she’s more than willing to watch the reserves do their thing from the sideline.

“When the bench can come in and contribute like that, that helps me out – physically, mentally,” Brown said. “I can just rest my legs and be a cheerleader on the bench, and I had fun.”

Brown wasn’t the only one enjoying herself on the court.

Sophomore forward Keisha Mosley seemed to have a good time, pouring in a career-high 20 points on nine-of-12 shooting in 17 minutes.

Mosley hadn’t played more than seven minutes since scoring a previous career-best nine points against Pittsburgh on Dec. 19.

“It’s been frustrating, but I can’t get down on myself,” Mosley said. “I’ve just got to keep coming in, working hard, doing extra … and keep doing what I’m doing, and this will happen.”

The Lady Toppers began the game on a 7-0 run and eventually extended their advantage to 22-2 with a three-pointer by freshman guard Lashay Davis with 10:25 left in the first half.

But then again, the entire game was a big run.

Western entered halftime up 49-14 and led by as many as 62 points in the second half before a 16-2 run by North Texas to end the game shrunk the margin considerably.

The intensity of the starters seemed to be contagious, and it was that energy that lit a fire under the bench, according to sophomore guard Vanessa Obafemi.

“After the first five came out and got after it, that just motivated us to do our part and keep the intensity up and get this win,” Obafemi said.

Western shot 55.2 percent for the game, including a scorching 64.3 percent in the second half.

The Mean Green shot just 18.5 percent in the first half and 32.7 percent for the game, and they recorded just six assists on 18 baskets with a whopping 31 turnovers.

The Lady Toppers notched 21 assists with 13 turnovers and scored 38 points off of North Texas’ miscues.

Five players scored in double figures for Western, led by Mosley. Davis pitched in 18, while Arnika Brown added 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Junior guard Hope Brown and senior guard Kenzie Rich each had 11 points.

Junior guard and leading scorer Amy McNear had just two points, but dished out seven assists with no turnovers.

The Lady Toppers return to action Sunday afternoon when they host New Orleans.

And with the bitter taste of the loss to Middle Tennessee still in their mouths, Cowles said Wednesday’s all-around victory was just what the doctor ordered.

“That’s a team win tonight,” Cowles said. “At this time of year, it’s great to utilize our bench the way we were and to let the bench show that they can respond and respond ready to play.”

Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday in Diddle Arena.

Freshman guard Lashay Davis said she wasn’t immune to early-season jitters.

But if her recent play is any indication, those nerves may be behind her for good.

Davis led Western with 16 points in a 71-46 home win over North Dakota on Wednesday and said she is finding herself more at ease in both practice and game situations.

“I’m getting used to it more,” Davis said. “With the team we have, everyone plays together and it’s fun, so it just helps me relax a lot.”

Davis has led the Lady Toppers (4-2) in scoring for two straight games off the bench, scoring 19 points in the team’s 69-51 loss to Arkansas last Friday in Cancun, Mexico.

Head Coach Mary Taylor Cowles said Davis, who is tied for second on the team in scoring with 9.2 points per game, has made great strides in terms of self-confidence.

“She finally understands that, ‘If I run the play wrong or I make the wrong pass, coach Cowles isn’t going to pull me every single time,’” Cowles said. “She’s simply starting to let her guard down a little bit as far as just relaxing and playing basketball.”

Davis said the veteran Lady Toppers have had a positive impact on her.

“All of the leadership on our team—it just makes it easy to adjust,” Davis said. “They’re really, really good at letting us adjust and helping us out, and the staff is just really willing to let us play to our potential and get experience.”

Senior forward Arnika Brown said she has been impressed by the play of Davis and fellow freshman guard Courtney Clifton.

“I applaud them, coming in as freshmen and basically getting thrown out there like, ‘Here you go,’” Brown said. “They have helped out so much. Coming from a post point and me getting doubled and possibly triple-teamed as the season goes on, it helps to pivot and kick it out to a guard that I know can hit a shot.”

Davis is currently tied for first on the team in steals with eight and is second with 11 assists.

Cowles said at the team’s media day last month that Davis has an undeniable competitive streak.

“(She) hates to lose,” Cowles said. “You could be playing tiddlywinks with her, and she’s going to try to beat you and beat you as bad as she can. I really like that kind of mentality, and I think that goes along with being a point guard also.”

Brown said she understands that Davis might deal with early-season nervousness but said as long as Davis is seeing success on the court, there is only one thing the freshman can do.

“You just have to accept it,” Brown said. “You don’t have a choice. You have an opportunity to jump on it while you can, and you just never know what position you’re going to be put in.

“(Davis and Clifton) are succeeding right now, and I hope it continues to go on for the rest of the season.”