Tops Close Regular Season Looking to Clinch No. 2 Seed at UAB

WKU Game Notes | UAB Game Notes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball will try to lock up the No. 2 seed in next week's Conference USA Basketball Championship as it closes the regular season at UAB at 7 p.m. CT Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.

The Hilltoppers can secure the two-seed with their eighth road win of the season.

UAB is coming off a convincing 91-77 victory over Marshall on Thursday night. The Blazers lead the all-time series 22-14, although WKU won 77-69 in Bowling Green in January.

WKU head coach Rick Stansbury is 4-1 in his career against UAB.

GAME 31

WKU (22-8, 14-3 C-USA) at UAB (18-12, 9-8 C-USA)
March 3, 2018 | 7 p.m. CT
Bartow Arena | Birmingham, Ala.

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, WKU PBS, WBNA (Jeff Younglove, pxp | Murry Bartow, analysis)
Live Stats: UAB Stats

QUICK SHOTS

• Whether WKU finishes as the No. 2 or 3 seed, it'll be the Hilltoppers' highest finish in its four years in C-USA, as well as its highest finish overall since earning the No. 2 seed in the 2014 Sun Belt Tournament.
• The Hilltoppers' 22 overall wins and their 14 league wins are both their most since 2008-09.
• WKU has made at least one 3-pointer in 968 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.
• In the last six games, WKU is averaging 85.8 points and shooting a combined 55.9 percent from the field.
• WKU's current scoring average of 79 points per game would be the program's highest since 1994-95.
• WKU ranks 10th in the country in field goal percentage and first in Conference USA at 50.1 percent. That percentage would tie for seventh for a single season in program history.
• The Tops are tied with Arizona for most games shooting 55 percent or better this season with 10. They recently shot 55 percent or better in five straight games for the first time since 1978-79.
• WKU has outscored its opponents 1,216-896 in the paint this season.
• Taveion Hollingsworth has scored in double figures in 19 of the last 24 games, and the freshman is averaging 15.3 points per game over his last nine outings.
• After averaging 10.2 points over a six-game span and shooting 2 of 17 from 3-point range in that time, Darius Thompson is averaging 15.7 points over his last six outings while shooting 12 of 24 from 3.
• Justin Johnson has grabbed at least 12 rebounds in seven of the last 16 games and has done so in 10 games overall this season. He had just seven such games all last season.
• Justin Johnson leads C-USA in rebounding at 9.3 boards per game. He could become the first player to lead the league in rebounding average in back-to-back years since Memphis' Joey Dorsey from 2006-08.
• As of Friday, Justin Johnson was ranked eighth among active NCAA players for career rebounds and tied for 12th in career double-doubles. Johnson is one of four active NCAA players with at least 1,500 career points and 950 rebounds.
• Justin Johnson is ranked 15th on WKU's all-time scoring list with 1,562 career points. He needs 20 points to pass A.J. Slaughter to move into 14th.
• Justin Johnson ranks fifth on WKU's all-time rebounding list with 977 career boards. Johnson is one of five Hilltoppers in program history ranked in the top 15 in scoring and the top 10 in rebounding.
• Justin Johnson needs 23 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.

LAST GAME AGAINST UAB: JANUARY 18, 2018

With UAB up 67-64 with 4:36 to play, WKU went on an 11-0 run to surge ahead and ice a 77-69 victory at E.A. Diddle Arena. Senior forward Justin Johnson led WKU with 18 points and eight rebounds, and senior forward Dwight Coleby tallied his eighth double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Freshman guard Josh Anderson scored 12 points off the bench, while fellow freshman guard Taveion Hollingsworth added 11 points. Senior guard Darius Thompson had 10 points and five assists.

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.

Tops Close Regular Season Looking to Clinch No. 2 Seed at UAB

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Josh Anderson

Dwight Coleby

Taveion Hollingsworth

Justin Johnson

Darius Thompson

Tops Close Regular Season Looking to Clinch No. 2 Seed at UAB

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Josh Anderson

Dwight Coleby

Taveion Hollingsworth

Justin Johnson

Darius Thompson

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