Jan. 17, 2014
@LADYTOPPERHOOPS VS. ARKANSAS STATE
JAN. 8, 2014 | 4:30 PM CT
E.A. DIDDLE ARENA | BOWLING GREEN, KY.
LADY TOPPERS HOST ARKANSAS STATE IN BB&T CLASSIC
- WKU has enjoyed great success at E.A. Diddle Arena this season, posting a 6-1 record at home with the loss coming against fourth-ranked Louisville. WKU is 2-0 in league games this season at home and 9-3 under Michelle Clark-Heard in two seasons.
- The Arkansas State game marks the 31st annual BB&T Classic at WKU. The Lady Toppers have played in the BB&T Classic since the 1983-84 season. WKU is 32-7 all-time in the BB&T Classic, including wins in each of the last years of the event and in five of the last six. From 1983-84 through the 1991-92 seasons, two games were played each year but the event is now a one-game classic. Arkansas State has not been a WKU opponent before in the BB&T Classic, but WKU has faced off against Arkansas State's in-state foe Arkansas on three occasions in the event. WKU is 2-1 against the Razorbacks in the event.
- WKU's rock solid defense had been superb during WKU's recent hot streak. During the last seven game stretch that has seen WKU win 6-of-7 games, the Lady Toppers have held four opponents to 55 points or less and five to 59 points or less.
- WKU has won its last three conference games by an average of 21.3 points per contest and won each game by at least 17 points. The last time that WKU won three consecutive conference games by double digits came during the 2007-08 season when WKU beat South Alabama (61-51 on 2-20-08), ULM (82-48 on 2-23-08), FIU (79-56 on 2-27-08) and FAU (89-52 on 3-1-08).
- Junior All-America candidate Chastity Gooch leads WKU in scoring at 16.9 points per game. She is averaging 22.3 points per contest in league play and 21.0 points per contest during WKU's current three-game winning streak.
- WKU is 11-4 or better to start the season for the second straight year. WKU was 12-3 through 15 games last season. It is just the third time in the last 13 seasons that WKU has won at least 11 of 15 games to begin the season and 18th time in the last 40 seasons. The last time WKU won at least 11 of 15 games to begin the season in back-to-back years came in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 when WKU opened 11-4, 12-3 and 12-3, respectivley.
