Tops Open Season Sunday with Exhibition at Samford for Hurricane Relief

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The 98th season of WKU Hilltopper Basketball tips off at 1 p.m. CT Sunday for a great cause, as the Hilltoppers partner with Samford to raise money for the ongoing hurricane relief effort with a "Pack The Pete For Hurricane Relief" game at the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Ala.

The NCAA has granted numerous programs waivers to add an exhibition game with the proceeds going to relief efforts following a series of devastating hurricanes in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Proceeds from Sunday's game will be donated to the Red Cross Hurricane Irma Relief Fund for Florida.

"We just thought it would be good to have an opportunity to go play somebody else besides ourselves," WKU head coach Rick Stansbury said. "We look at it as an extra game you can learn about your team, and again, it's for a great benefit. Everybody benefits."

Admission is free for the game, but a $10 donation is being requested from the Samford Athletic Department to help provide relief for Hurricane Irma victims in Florida.

Gates will open to the arena Sunday at noon.

The Hilltoppers and Bulldogs have met eight times before in regular-season competition, with WKU winning each matchup. They last met on Nov. 23, 2013, in Bowling Green, when the Hilltoppers pulled out a 67-64 victory. Before that meeting, the teams hadn't played since 1986.

Last year, Samford finished 20-16 under head coach Scott Padgett – the program's most victories in 11 years and its first winning season since 2005-06.

"We just need to play with a lot of energy and toughness," WKU senior forward Dwight Coleby said. "That's all coach really wants. I think it will be a good experience for everyone come out and try to fit together and play well together."

EXHIBITION 1

WKU at Samford
October 29, 2017 | 1 p.m. CT
Birmingham, Ala. | Pete Hanna Center

BROADCAST

No live stream or WKU radio broadcast.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

QUICK SHOTS

• WKU is 55-4 all-time in preseason exhibition games, although those are typically played at home and against non-Division I opponents. The Hilltoppers have won 23 straight preseason tune-ups dating back to a 2002-03 loss to the Harlem Globetrotters.
• WKU has made at least one 3-pointer in 938 consecutive games, dating back to March 15, 1987. The 3-point shot was instituted prior to the 1986-87 season.
• With nine newcomers on the roster, WKU returns just two players who competed for the program last season in seniors Justin Johnson and Tyler Miller. They represent 21.1 percent of the program's scoring from the 2016-17 campaign, 27.3 percent of the rebounding and 17.4 percent of the assists.
• WKU's 2017-18 roster represents five states – Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee and Wisconsin – as well as two other countries – Senegal and the Bahamas. The Hilltoppers' six players from Kentucky are their most from the Bluegrass State since the 2007-08 squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Justin Johnson is tied for 36th on WKU's all-time scoring list with 1,120 career points. He needs 23 points to move past Mike Prince, Jack Turner, Jim Rose and Dwight Smith into 33rd place.
• Justin Johnson currently ranks seventh on WKU's all-time list for career field goal percentage at 55.3 percent. He's less than a percentage point from fifth place.
• Justin Johnson needs 302 rebounds – the exact amount he grabbed as a junior – to reach 1,000 for his career. That would make him just the fifth player in WKU history with 1,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds, joining Tom Marshall, Art Spoelstra, Ralph Crosthwaite and Jim McDaniels, the last to accomplish the feat in 1971.
• Lamonte Bearden has 269 total assists across his first two college seasons at Buffalo. His 144 assists as a freshman at UB would rank ninth in WKU's record book for most assists in a single season.
• The Hilltoppers were picked to finish sixth in the Conference USA Preseason Coaches Poll, while Justin Johnson was voted to the 10-member Preseason All-C-USA Team for the second straight season.

TICKETS

Admission is free, but the Samford is requesting a $10 donation at the door to benefit the Red Cross Hurricane Irma Relief Fund for Florida.

LAST GAME AGAINST SAMFORD: NOVEMBER 23, 2013

T.J. Price's 28 points and Brandon Price's spark in the second half led the Hilltoppers to a 67-64 win over Samford in E.A. Diddle Arena. George Fant followed T.J. Price in scoring production with 17 points. Isaiah Williams led Samford with 15 points while Tim Williams and Raijon Kelly had 11 and 10, respectively. Samford shot 56 percent from the floor while tabbing 42 points in the paint compared to WKU's 26.

MED CENTER HEALTH

The 2017-18 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.

VIDEO

Head Coach Rick Stansbury — (YouTube)

Seniors Justin Johnson, Dwight Coleby, Darius Thompson — (YouTube)

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.

Tops Open Season Sunday with Exhibition at Samford for Hurricane Relief

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lamonte Bearden

Dwight Coleby

Justin Johnson

Darius Thompson

Tops Open Season Sunday with Exhibition at Samford for Hurricane Relief

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lamonte Bearden

Dwight Coleby

Justin Johnson

Darius Thompson

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