Hilltoppers Take Momentum on Road for Thursday Trip to Rice

WKU Game Notes | Rice Game Notes

HOUSTON, Texas — WKU Hilltopper Basketball starts its final road trip before Bonus Play begins at Rice at 8 p.m. CT Thursday in Houston, Texas. The game will air on CBS Sports Network.

The Hilltoppers have won five of their last six and two straight, most recently topping UTEP 76-59 at home Saturday. WKU will be trying for its 1,000th straight game with a made 3-pointer.

Rice is 4-6 in conference play, but 3-2 at home in league action. WKU is 3-2 all-time against the Owls but has won two in a row, including last year in Houston. Hilltopper head coach Rick Stansbury is 2-0 in his career against Rice.

GAME 24

WKU (13-10, 6-4 C-USA) at Rice (9-14, 4-6 C-USA)
February 7, 2019 | 8 p.m. CT
Tudor Fieldhouse | Houston, Texas

BROADCAST

Listen: Hilltopper IMG Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), WKUSports.tv (free), TuneIn Radio (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: CBS Sports Network (Jason Horowitz, pxp | Marc Jackson, analysis)
Live Stats: Rice Stats

QUICK SHOTS

• WKU has made a 3-pointer in 999 straight games dating back to March 15, 1987, and will look to become the fifth team in NCAA history to reach 1,000 straight games Thursday.
• The Hilltoppers have just 15 combined turnovers in their last two games. Before that, they had at least 16 turnovers in five of their previous six games.
• WKU is one of the youngest teams in the country, ranking 329th of 353 in experience, per Ken Pomeroy.
• WKU ranks 11th in the country in total blocks and 19th in blocked shots per game, and 20th in percentage of opponents' shots blocked, according to Ken Pomeroy. Its average of 5.0 blocks per game would tie its highest on record. Charles Bassey ranks second in C-USA in blocks per game (2.1).
• WKU freshman center Charles Bassey has more blocks himself (49) this year than 41 Division I teams.
• As of Tuesday, Charles Bassey was ranked fifth in the nation among freshmen in total blocks (49), third in field-goal percentage (64.5 percent) and second for total rebounds (233).
• As of Tuesday, Charles Bassey ranked in the top 50 nationally in double-doubles (16th), field-goal percentage (12th), blocks per game (29th), total blocks (22nd), rebounds per game (16th), offensive rebounds per game (32nd), defensive rebounds per game (26th) and total rebounds (14th).
• Charles Bassey's 11 double-doubles this season are the most on record by a Hilltopper freshman. Bassey leads C-USA in double-doubles and is 1 of 2 freshmen in the entire nation averaging a double-double.
• Sophomore guard Taveion Hollingsworth could potentially hit 1,000 career points in less than two years. He would be just the third Hilltopper to accomplish that feat, joining Jim McDaniels and Clem Haskins.
• Since putting on a protective mask for a broken nose suffered Jan. 24, sophomore guard Josh Anderson has averaged 18.5 points per game in the last two outings.
• In the last four games, redshirt senior guard Lamonte Bearden has 23 combined assists against just six turnovers. He ranks third in C-USA in conference play with a 2.6-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

LAST GAME AGAINST RICE: FEBRUARY 17, 2018

WKU Basketball used a fast start to record the 44th 20-win season in program history with an 85-66 road victory over Rice. Darius Thompson flirted with a triple-double with 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Josh Anderson

Charles Bassey

Lamonte Bearden

Taveion Hollingsworth

Darius Thompson