Hilltoppers Host UAB to Begin Crucial Homestand

WKU Game Notes | UAB Game Notes | C-USA Notes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball is tied for the Conference USA lead at 5-0 as it hosts UAB at 8 p.m. CT Thursday at E.A. Diddle Arena.

The Hilltoppers have started 5-0 in league play for the fourth time since 1970 and have won six straight games overall for the first time since 2014-15.

UAB is right behind WKU in the league standings at 4-1. The Blazers lead the all-time series 22-13, although the Hilltoppers have won five straight in Bowling Green since 1991.

WKU head coach Rick Stansbury is 3-1 all-time in his career against UAB.

GAME 19

UAB (13-5, 4-1 C-USA) at WKU (13-5, 5-0 C-USA)
January 18, 2018 | 8 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: CBS Sports Network (John Sadak, pxp | Jordan Cornette, analysis)
Live Stats: WKU Stats

QUICK SHOTS

• WKU is 18-5 (.783) at E.A. Diddle Arena under head coach Rick Stansbury. The Hilltoppers are 591-168 all-time at Diddle Arena for a .779 winning percentage.
• WKU has made at least one 3-pointer in 956 consecutive games, dating back to March 15, 1987. The 3-point shot was instituted prior to the 1986-87 season. The Hilltoppers' streak is the sixth-longest in the nation behind Kentucky, UNLV, Vanderbilt, Duke and Arkansas.
• WKU has trailed for just a combined 8 minutes and 33 seconds in its five opening Conference USA wins.
• WKU's current scoring average of 79 points per game would be the program's highest since 1994-95.
• WKU ranks 19th in the country in field goal percentage and second in Conference USA at 49.9 percent. That percentage would rank eighth for a single season in program history.
• WKU ranks 26th in the country in 3-point percentage and first in Conference USA at 40.2 percent. That percentage would tie for second for a single season in program history.
• WKU has outscored its opponents 748-524 in the paint this season.
• The Hilltoppers' five losses have come by a total of 22 points – an average of 4.4 points per game.
• In his last 15 games, Darius Thompson has 81 combined assists and just 24 turnovers. He has at least four assists in 15 of 18 games this season and ranks second in C-USA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.6-to-1.
• Darius Thompson ranks 24th in the country in minutes per game (36.4) and 49th in total minutes (655).
• Through 18 games, Lamonte Bearden has 30 steals. No Hilltopper had more than 28 steals all last year.
• Lamonte Bearden is 94 points from reaching 1,000 for his career across his time at Buffalo and WKU.
• As of Tuesday, Justin Johnson was ranked eighth among active NCAA players for career rebounds and tied for 10th in career double-doubles. He's one of just five active NCAA players with at least 1,300 career points and 800 rebounds.
• Justin Johnson is ranked 17th on WKU's all-time scoring list with 1,368 career points. He needs 143 points to pass Art Spoelstra to move into 16th.
• Justin Johnson ranks 10th on WKU's all-time rebounding list with 865 career boards. He needs 24 rebounds to pass Dan King to move into ninth. He's one of six Hilltoppers in program history ranked in the top 20 in scoring and the top 10 in rebounding.
• Justin Johnson currently ranks eighth on WKU's all-time list for career field goal percentage at 54.8 percent. He's just over one percentage point from fifth place.
• Justin Johnson needs 135 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.

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.

PROMOTIONS

• Free WKU jersey replica towel for the first 500 fans.

LAST GAME AGAINST UAB: FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Justin Johnson scored 26 points with 14 rebounds, and Que Johnson knocked down six 3-pointers as WKU led from start to finish in a 76-64 victory over UAB at E.A. Diddle Arena. William Lee led UAB with 18 points.

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

Lamonte Bearden

Justin Johnson

Que Johnson

Darius Thompson