Hilltoppers to Square Off with Illinois State in Second Paradise Jam Outing

WKU Game Notes

ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands — WKU Hilltopper Basketball will play its second game in less than 24 hours against Illinois State at 4 p.m. CT Saturday in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. The game will air online on the subscription service FloHoops.com.

The Hilltoppers took their first loss Friday with a tough 77-75 defeat against Bowling Green in the opening round.

Illinois State also suffered a heartbreaker Friday with a 66-65 loss to Cincinnati in the first round to drop to 2-2 in the early season. WKU is 1-3 all-time against Illinois State, but the teams have never met on a neutral court. Rick Stansbury has never played the Redbirds.

GAME 6

Illinois State (2-2) vs. WKU (4-1)
November 23, 2019 | 4 p.m. CT
UVI Sports and Fitness Center | St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

BROADCAST

Listen: Hilltopper Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), CUSA.tv Audio (free), TuneIn Radio (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: FloHoops.com (Danny Lee, pxp | Kevin Lehman, analysis)
Live Stats: Paradise Jam Stats

TOP STORYLINES

• The Hilltoppers have a precedent for responding well to an opening tourney loss under Rick Stansbury. Two years ago, WKU started the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis with a loss to eventual national champion Villanova, but bounced back with victories over a ranked Purdue squad and SMU.

• WKU is 8-6 in neutral-site games since the beginning of the 2017-18 season, including 4-3 in regular-season neutral games. The Hilltoppers' wins include victories over ranked West Virginia and Purdue.

• Entering Friday, WKU led the country in field-goal percentage and ranked sixth in free-throw percentage, eighth in scoring offense and 23rd in 3-point percentage.

• WKU has made 33 more free throws (97) than its opponents have even attempted (64) through five games.

• The Hilltoppers have five players averaging in double figures scoring, as well as seven total players averaging between 7.6 and 16.8 points per game.

• The Hilltoppers have dished out at least 17 assists in 3 of 5 games this season. WKU recorded at least 17 assists in just five total games all last season.

• WKU redshirt senior guard/forward Jared Savage needs just six points to reach 1,000 for his career across his time at WKU and Austin Peay.

LAST GAME AGAINST ILLINOIS STATE: DECEMBER 16, 2003

Vince Greene hit two free throws with four seconds remaining to lead Illinois State to a 66-65 victory over WKU at Redbird Arena.

Marcus Arnold scored 23 points to lead all players, while Trey Guidry added 14 off the bench for the Redbirds. Greg Dilligard pulled down a game-high 10 boards as ISU outrebounded the Hilltoppers, 39-31.

Mike Wells led four Western players in double digits with 16 points, as Anthony Winchester added 14 and both Nigel Dixon and Antonio Haynes each scored 13. The Toppers shot a season-best 47.2 percent from the field, but sank just 11-of-24 free throws.

MED CENTER HEALTH

The 2019-20 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.

Hilltoppers to Square Off with Illinois State in Second Paradise Jam Outing

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Players Mentioned

Jared Savage