Hilltoppers Welcome Fans for Open Scrimmage at Diddle Arena

Saturday, October 21

E.A. Diddle Arena

11 a.m.

Western Kentucky University

Open Scrimmage

Photo by: Steve Roberts, WKU Athletics

10/21/2017 2:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball

PHOTO GALLERY

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Fans got one last look at the WKU Hilltopper Basketball squad before the season begins with a free open scrimmage Saturday at E.A. Diddle Arena.

The Hilltoppers played two 12-minute segments and one eight-minute session for a total of 32 minutes on John Oldham Court.

Although WKU had just 10 active players Saturday, the lineups for each squad of five changed across each segment, offering a look at different roster combinations.

"We can only mix and match so many ways right now," WKU head coach Rick Stansbury said. "There aren't a whole lot of different options. We changed them a couple times. We saw some different guys play with different people. It's not like we can change a lot of different positions, as far as our numbers. Having different guys play with different people made them have to defend different guys."

Although the lineups changed for each game, the Red team defeated the White squad in each contest.

Junior guard/forward Jared Savage led the way with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while freshman guards Josh Anderson and Taveion Hollingsworth also each scored 15 points.

Hollingsworth and Anderson were a combined 13 of 24 from the field. Hollingsworth scored 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the first scrimmage segment, and Anderson finished the day with four steals.

"We've got some guys who can get out there and really run," senior forward Justin Johnson said. "Not having that many guys, everybody has to play a lot of minutes right now in practice and everything, so everybody's conditioning level is going up every day. You've got to look at the positives that come out of it. When the games start, we'll have some guys on that bench that'll come up and give us some good minutes."

Graduate senior forward Dwight Coleby ended the day with 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, and Johnson added 13 points and eight rebounds. Freshman forward Marek Nelson contributed 13 points and six rebounds.

Redshirt sophomore forward Moustapha Diagne chipped in 12 points, six rebounds and three blocks, and graduate senior guard Darius Thompson had six points and five assists with just one turnover.

The Hilltoppers have less than two weeks until they open the season with their first exhibition against Campbellsville at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 at Diddle Arena.

Although WKU is thin on depth when stretched over two teams, Thompson said the way they've adapted should pay dividends when the games begin.

"That's what we try to pride ourselves on, is getting out there and playing fast so conditioning is going to help us with that, playing fast for a whole game," Thompson said. "… I like playing fast. It's a fun way to play, it's fun to watch. It's just a fun style of basketball."