Hilltoppers Travel to UAB for Final Bonus Play Road Game

Coach Stansbury Video Interview | Hollingsworth/Diagne Video Interview

WKU Game Notes | UAB Game Notes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball continues Bonus Play with its second straight road game at UAB at 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday in Birmingham, Ala. The game will air on beIN SPORTS.

The Hilltoppers began Bonus Play with a loss Saturday at league-leading Old Dominion. WKU is tied for third in the conference standings.

UAB opened Bonus Play with an overtime win at Southern Miss on Saturday. The Blazers lead the all-time series 24-15, including two straight in Birmingham. The teams played less than two weeks ago, with UAB winning 68-60 at WKU on Feb. 16. Head coach Rick Stansbury is 5-3 all-time against UAB.

GAME 29

WKU (16-12, 9-6 C-USA) at UAB (17-11, 9-6 C-USA)
February 28, 2019 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Bartow Arena | Birmingham, Ala.

BROADCAST

Listen: Hilltopper IMG Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), WKUSports.tv (free), TuneIn Radio (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: beIN SPORTS (Phil Schoen, pxp | Megan Perry, analysis)
Live Stats: UAB Stats

QUICK SHOTS

• WKU head coach Rick Stansbury returned Feb. 23 at Old Dominion after missing four games with a back injury that required surgery on Feb. 15. Assistant Marc Hsu served as interim coach.
• WKU became the fifth program in NCAA history to reach 1,000 straight games with a made 3-pointer at Rice on Feb. 7. The Hilltoppers' streak of 1,004 games dates back to March 15, 1987.
• WKU is one of the youngest teams in the country, ranking 321st of 353 in experience, per Ken Pomeroy.
• WKU ranks 10th in the country in total blocks and 12th in blocked shots per game, and 19th in percentage of opponents' shots blocked, according to Ken Pomeroy. Its average of 5.1 blocks per game would tie its highest on record. Charles Bassey ranks second in C-USA in blocks per game (2.4).
• In the last seven games, redshirt senior guard Lamonte Bearden has 51 combined assists against just 11 turnovers. He leads C-USA in conference play with a 3.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Sophomore guard Josh Anderson is 1 of 9 players in the country with at least 112 total rebounds, 47 steals and 20 blocks this season. He's the only player from Conference USA to reach those marks.
• WKU freshman center Charles Bassey could become 1 of 3 freshmen in the country since 1992 – along with Greg Oden and current NBA star Anthony Davis – to average 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game, while also shooting at least 60 percent from the field.
• As of Tuesday, Charles Bassey ranked second in the nation among freshmen in total rebounds (277), third in total blocks (65) and third in field-goal percentage (63.1 percent).
• As of Tuesday, Charles Bassey ranked in the top 30 nationally in double-doubles (17th), field-goal percentage (10th), blocks per game (16th), total blocks (13th), rebounds per game (20th), defensive rebounds per game (29th) and total rebounds (17th).
• Charles Bassey's 13 double-doubles this season are the most on record by a Hilltopper freshman. Bassey leads C-USA in double-doubles and ranks second in the nation among freshmen in double-doubles.

LAST GAME AGAINST UAB: FEBRUARY 16, 2019

A rough shooting day for WKU led to a 68-60 home loss to UAB at E.A. Diddle Arena. The Hilltoppers got 23 points and 10 rebounds from Charles Bassey, but they shot just 37.5 percent and netted just 6 of 27 3-pointers.

MED CENTER HEALTH

The 2018-19 WKU Basketball season is presented by Med Center Health. With The Medical Center at its core, Med Center Health has served Southcentral Kentucky for more than 90 years, and its system of care includes six acute care hospitals, a complete network of immediate to emergency services and services in dozens of specialties. Whether it is emergency treatment for heart attack victims or preventative programs to improve the health of the communities it serves, Med Center Health is committed to providing the highest level of care and service.

How to follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Basketball, follow the team's social media channels, @WKUBasketball on Twitter, @WKUBasketball on Instagram, and WKU Basketball on Facebook.

Players Mentioned

Josh Anderson

Charles Bassey

Lamonte Bearden

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