Hilltoppers Welcome Perennial Power Saint Mary's on Saturday

Saturday, December 22

E.A. Diddle Arena

2 p.m.

Western Kentucky University

Saint Mary's

Tickets

Hilltoppers Welcome Perennial Power Saint Mary's on Saturday

12/21/2018 1:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball

WKU Game Notes | Saint Mary's Game Notes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball begins its final stretch in non-conference with two home games, starting against Saint Mary's at 2 p.m. CT Saturday at E.A. Diddle Arena. The game will air on CBS Sports Network on Facebook Watch.

The Hilltoppers have lost two straight games, most recently falling 80-74 at Belmont on Wednesday.

Saint Mary's has won five of its last six, defeating Bucknell 85-56 at home Wednesday. The Hilltoppers are 0-1 in their only meeting with the Gaels, a 73-51 loss on Dec, 14, 2016. WKU head coach Rick Stansbury is 1-2 all-time in his career against Saint Mary's.

GAME 12

Saint Mary's (8-5) at WKU (5-6)
December 22, 2018 | 2 p.m. CT
E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.

BROADCAST

Listen: Hilltopper IMG Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), WKUSports.tv (free), TuneIn Radio (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: CBS Sports Network on Facebook Watch (Dave Ryan, pxp | Steve Wolf, analysis | John Schriffen, sideline)
Live Stats: WKU Stats

QUICK SHOTS

• WKU has played five teams currently ranked in the Ken Pomeroy Top 100, going 2-3 against those programs: Washington (53), West Virginia (41), UCF (44), Arkansas (55) and Belmont (81). All five games were played away from home. The Hilltoppers are in the midst of a five-game stretch that includes four games against top-100 programs.
• WKU has played 8 of 11 games away from home and traveled more than 8,000 miles over that span.
• The Hilltoppers have made a 3-pointer in 987 straight games dating back to March 15, 1987. WKU entered the season tied with Arkansas for the fourth-longest streak in the nation of consecutive games with a made 3. Only UNLV (1,039), Vanderbilt (1,031) and Duke (1,021) had longer streaks to start the year.
• WKU ranks 31st in the country in blocked shots per game, and 26th in percentage of opponents' shots blocked, according to Ken Pomeroy. Its average of 5.1 blocks per game would be its highest on record since programs began tracking the statistic. Charles Bassey leads C-USA in blocked shots per game (2.4).
• The Hilltoppers have shot 75 more free throws than their opponents this year and made four more free throws than their opponents have even attempted, a calling card of the program.
• Sophomore Taveion Hollingsworth has scored at least 10 points in 35 of his 49 career games. He's scored at least 20 points in 11 of those outings, including a 24-point showing at Missouri State on Dec. 5.
• In his last four games, WKU freshman center Charles Bassey has made 26 of 38 shots from the field (68.4 percent) and 20 of 23 free throws (87.0 percent).
• As of Thursday, Charles Bassey was ranked third nationally among freshmen for rebounds per game (9.5) and tied for fourth in total blocks (26). He leads C-USA in total (9.5) and offensive (3.3) rebounds per game.
• As of Thursday, Charles Bassey ranked in the top 50 in the country in double-doubles (25th), field-goal percentage (26th), blocks per game (28th), total blocks (20th), total rebounds per game (32nd), total rebounds (33rd) and offensive rebounds per game (36th).

TICKETS

WKU Ticket Office: Limited tickets remain for the Saint Mary's game by calling 1-800-5-BIGRED, visiting WKUTickets.com or coming to the WKU Ticket Office in person on gameday. WKU is running a Holiday Special for $10 tickets available online only.

PROMOTIONS

• Sixth piece of 16-piece 100th season commemorative poster (Jared Savage/Bobby Rascoe) for first 3,000 fans
• U.S. Bank Contest to win $200 prepaid gift card
• $10K putt – Chance to win $10,000 for one lucky fan by making a full court putt
• All members of Big Red's Rascals will receive a complimentary ticket to the game

LAST GAME AGAINST SAINT MARY'S: DECEMBER 14, 2016

Jock Landale had 15 points and 13 rebounds and the 20th-ranked Gaels jumped to a quick lead they never relinquished to beat WKU 73-51 at home. Justin Johnson and Que Johnson each scored 11 points for WKU.

MED CENTER HEALTH

The 2018-19 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.