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The Hilltoppers enter the matchup facing the Gamecocks standing at 10-5 overall with a 1-1 mark in CUSA coming off a 71-70 road victory over Liberty last Thursday night to open conference play, followed by an 85-66 loss on the road at FIU on Saturday. Freshman guard Julius Thedford led the way for the Tops with a pair of strong performances in the team's opening week of CUSA competition, posting back-to-back team and game-high 18-point efforts highlighted by a go-ahead three-pointer to give WKU a three-point edge over Liberty with just 32 seconds left in regulation.Â
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Thedford's 18 points in the win over the Flames came off a .400% (6-for-15) clip shooting from the field, adding five rebounds, one steal and one block to help lead the Hilltoppers to a tenth win on the year and a 1-0 start to conference play. The native of Memphis followed the performance with another game-best 18 points off 7-for-12 (.583%) shooting from the field, a team-high four rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block facing FIU on the road. Thedford has now scored in double figures in 11 of the Hilltoppers' 15 games this season and charts as the team's second leader in points with 189 on the season and 12.6 per contest.
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Jax State enters Thursday's matchup with an 8-6 overall record and 0-1 mark in CUSA play. The Gamecocks fell short on the road at Kennesaw State, 83-71, to open league play on Saturday. Redshirt senior guard Jaron Pierre Jr. led JSU in scoring in the loss facing the Owls, charting 20 points in 39 minutes of action along with four rebounds, four assists, one block and a steal. Pierre Jr. currently leads CUSA and ranks third in the nation in scoring with 22.9 points per contest.Â
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GAME INFO
WKU (10-5, 1-1 CUSA) vs. Jax State (8-6, 0-1 CUSA)
Thursday, Jan. 9 | 7 p.m. CT
E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.
Watch:Â ESPN+Â (Tyler Eaton & Dean Cooper)
Listen: Hilltopper Sports Radio Network | 100.7-FM (WKLX)/Varsity Network (Randy Lee & Hal Schmitt)
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats | StatBroadcast
Tickets: $10 Seats | WKUTickets.com | 1-800-5-BIG RED
Game Notes:Â Media Center
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ABOUT THE TOPS
- WKU currently averages 79.0 points per game, good for 98th most in the nation
- WKU ranks 12th in the nation in defensive rebounding with 29.07 per contest
- WKU ranks 73rd in the nation in FG% defense, limiting opponents to a .407% clip shooting from the field
- The Tops rank 28th in the nation in steals with 9.4 per contest and a total of 141 on the year
- WKU is currently tied for third in the nation in adjusted tempo with an average of 74.8 possessions per 40 minutes
- Don McHenry leads the Hilltoppers and ranks fifth in CUSA for scoring with 17.6 points per contest; McHenry's 30 steals (2.0/G) are tied for second most in CUSA and 45th most in the nation
- McHenry holds the conference's seventh best FG% (min # attempts) at .419%
- McHenry touts the third-best free-throw percentage in CUSA with a .833% (45-of-54) mark from the stripe; the senior guard also holds a .344% (33-of-96) shooting clip from three-point range off the most attempts and most made threes on the team
- Tyrone Marshall Jr. leads WKU and charts third in the league for defensive rebounding with 85 (5.7/G) on the year, good for 84th most in the nation; the graduate forward also charts ninth in the league in total rebounds with 98 (6.5/G) on the year
- Marshall Jr. leads the Hilltoppers and ranks 12th in CUSA in blocks with a total of 11 on the year
- Freshman Julius Thedford is currently the team's second-leading scorer and ranks 14th in CUSA with 12.6 points per game and 189 points on the season
- Jalen Jackson leads the team and charts 17th in CUSA in assists with 33 (2.2/G) on the yearÂ
SERIES INFORMATION
Thursday will mark the sixth all-time meeting between WKU and Jax State, with the Tops currently holding a 5-0 advantage in the series dating back to 1939. WKU posted a 2-0 record against JSU last season in the Gamecocks' first year competing in CUSA, securing an 80-69 win at home in Diddle Arena on Jan. 13 followed by a 70-59 win on the road in Jacksonville on Feb. 10. The first-ever meeting between the programs came on March 4, 1939, with the Hilltoppers defeating the Gamecocks, 56-43, in Bowling Green.Â
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SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
- Jax State enters Thursday's game averaging 80.8 points per contest, good for second most in CUSA
- Jaron Pierre Jr. leads the league and ranks third in the nation in points per game with 22.9 per contestÂ
- Pierre Jr. ranks second in the league in assists with 4.6 per contest and 65 total for the year; the guard's 1.8 assist/turnover ratio charts as the fifth-best in CUSA
- Senior forward Michael Houge and redshirt junior center Mason Nicholson rank second and fourth respectively in CUSA for rebounding
- Nicholson ranks third in CUSA for blocked shots with 22 on the year (1.6/G)
- The Gamecocks lead CUSA and rank eighth in the nation in defensive rebounding with 29.64 per game
- JSU's .477% team field-goal percentage is good for the third-best in CUSA
- JSU is limiting teams to a .403% clip shooting from the field, also good for third best in the leagueÂ
- The Gamecocks hold the second-best team three-point shooting percentage in CUSA at .389%
- JSU leads CUSA in team free-throw percentage at .783%
- As a team, the Gamecocks chart second in CUSA for total rebounding (40.9/G)
- JSU holds the league's second-best assist/turnover ratio as a team at 1.40
Follow the team on social media (@wkubasketball) and visit wkusports.com for the latest news and updates on all things Hilltopper Basketball as the team continues its 2024-25 campaign.
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