Hilltoppers End Three-Game Homestand Against Nicholls

WKU Game Notes | Nicholls Game Notes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball completes a three-game homestand to open the season when it welcomes high-scoring Nicholls at 5 p.m. CT Sunday at E.A. Diddle Arena.

The Hilltoppers notched their first victory of the season Wednesday with an 83-53 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan.

Nicholls improved to 2-1 with Friday's 127-83 victory over Spring Hill. Nicholls is averaging 105 points per game and has made 42 of 93 (45.2 percent) attempts from the 3-point line.

The Hilltoppers and Colonels have never met, but WKU head coach Rick Stansbury is 5-0 in his career against Nicholls.

GAME 3

Nicholls (2-1) at WKU (1-1)
November 19, 2017 | 5 p.m. CT
Bowling Green, Ky. | E.A. Diddle Arena

BROADCAST

Listen: Hilltopper IMG Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), WKUSports.tv (free), TuneIn Radio (free) (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: Fox College Sports Central, WKU PBS in Bowling Green, WBNA in Louisville (Radio Simulcast)
Live Stats: WKU Stats

QUICK SHOTS

• WKU is 12-4 (.750) at E.A. Diddle Arena under head coach Rick Stansbury. The Hilltoppers are 585-167 all-time at Diddle Arena for a .778 winning percentage.
• WKU has made at least one 3-pointer in 940 consecutive games, dating back to March 15, 1987. The 3-point shot was instituted prior to the 1986-87 season.
• After making just 49 of 85 free throws (.576) in their three exhibition wins, the Hilltoppers have netted 47 of 60 attempts (.783) in their first two regular-season outings. The Bears' 31 fouls were the most by a Hilltopper opponent since Alabama A&M was whistled 37 times against WKU on Nov. 15, 2010.
• The Hilltoppers lead Conference USA in offensive rebounds per game (18) and turnover margin (7.5).
• WKU's 23 offensive rebounds against Kentucky Wesleyan were the program's most since pulling down 25 in a season-opening win over Campbellsville on Nov. 14, 2015.
• The Hilltoppers' 12 steals against Kentucky Wesleyan were their most in a game since grabbing 13 against Brescia on Dec. 28, 2015. WKU never recorded more than nine steals in a game last season.
• Six Hilltoppers scored in double figures against Kentucky Wesleyan, the first time WKU has accomplished that feat since Jan. 21, 2017, at Marshall. The Tops were one point from freshman guard Taveion
Hollingsworth from having seven players in double figures for the first time since 2001 vs. Murray State.
• Justin Johnson's next game will be the 100th of his career in a Hilltopper uniform. He needs to appear in 27 more games this season to crack WKU's top 10 for all-time career games played.
• Justin Johnson is 34th on WKU's all-time scoring list with 1,141 career points. He needs just two points to pass Dwight Smith to move into 33rd.
• Justin Johnson currently ranks eighth on WKU's all-time list for career field goal percentage at 54.7 percent. He's just over a percentage point from fifth place.
• Justin Johnson needs 279 rebounds 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.
• WKU scored 109 points in its exhibition win over Cumberland, its most points in any exhibition or regular-season game since scoring 110 against Hungarian team Atomeromu Se on Nov. 12, 2000.
• The Hilltoppers outscored their opponents by an average of 93-60 in their exhibition wins after winning both preseason tune-ups by eight or fewer points a year ago. They also outscored their final two exhibition opponents by a combined 128-46 in the paint this preseason.

TICKETS

WKU Ticket Office: Online at WKUTickets.com, in person at E.A. Diddle Arena, via phone at 1-800-5-BIG Red or 745-5222 locally.

LAST GAME AGAINST NICHOLLS

First meeting

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.

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

Justin Johnson