Hilltoppers Meet No. 2 Louisville on Black Friday in Nashville

WKU Game Notes | Louisville Game Notes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball stays on a neutral court as it faces No. 2 Louisville at 4 p.m. CT Friday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The game will be produced by CBS Sports and stream exclusively on Facebook Watch.

The Hilltoppers are coming off a 2-1 showing in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.

Louisville is undefeated in the early season, including a 5-0 mark at home. WKU is 39-40 all-time against the Cardinals, although that includes Louisville wins later vacated. WKU is 5-4 vs. Louisville on a neutral court, and this will be Rick Stansbury's first all-time meeting with the Cardinals.

GAME 8

#2 Louisville (6-0) vs. WKU (6-1)
November 29, 2019 | 4 p.m. CT
Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, Tenn.

BROADCAST

Listen: Hilltopper Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), CUSA.tv Audio (free), TuneIn Radio (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: CBS Sports Network on Facebook Watch (Chris Hassel, pxp | Bob Wenzel, analysis | Ashley Holder, sideline)
Live Stats: WKU Stats

TOP STORYLINES

• Louisville is the highest-ranked team WKU has faced since falling to No. 1 Kentucky in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals would be the highest-ranked team WKU has beaten since defeating No. 2 San Francisco on Dec. 19, 1956. The Hilltoppers are 5-28 all-time against top-five opponents.

• Since the start of the 2017-18 season, WKU has gone 3-3 against top-25 teams and 3-1 against ranked Power Five opponents.

• The Hilltoppers have a long history of playing games at Bridgestone Arena and have competed in the venue when it was called Nashville Arena, Gaylord Entertainment Center, Sommet Center and Bridgestone. WKU is 4-3 in games played in the arena, boasting wins over #24 Vanderbilt (2009), #3 Louisville (2008), Auburn (2002) and Middle Tennessee (1998). The Hilltoppers' last four games in the building have all been against ranked opponents.

• The Hilltoppers are 58-61 all-time against current Atlantic Coast Conference members, while head coach Rick Stansbury has a 5-8 record against the league. WKU won its last game against an ACC foe, a 79-62 home win over Boston College in the 2018 NIT. That was the Hilltoppers' first victory over a current ACC member since defeating Louisville in Nashville in 2008.

• WKU is off to its best start through seven games since the 2006-07 season.

• WKU is 10-6 in neutral-site games since the beginning of the 2017-18 season, including 6-3 in regular-season neutral games. The Hilltoppers' wins include victories over ranked West Virginia and Purdue.

• As of Wednesday, WKU ranked fifth in the country in field-goal percentage (52.8), seventh in free throws made (132), 16th in 3-point percentage (41.1), 21st in free-throw percentage (78.6) and 24th in scoring offense (84.0 ppg). Louisville ranks second in field-goal percentage (53.0) and eighth in 3-point percentage (42.4).

• WKU has made 50 more free throws (132) than its opponents have even attempted (82) through seven games.

• WKU has shot at least 50 percent from the field in 5 of 7 games this season. The Hilltoppers shot 50 percent or better from the floor in just nine total games all last season.

TICKETS

Single-game tickets for the Louisville game in Nashville can be purchased online via Ticketmaster at https://goto.ps/2Dmd3WL or in person on gameday. WKU students will receive free admission with a voucher previously claimed at Diddle Arena and a valid student ID.

LAST GAME AGAINST LOUISVILLE: DECEMBER 19, 2015

Quentin Snider and No. 19 Louisville handled WKU in a 78-56 home win.

Snider led Louisville with 16 points. Trey Lewis scored 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Damion Lee also had 15 points for the Cardinals. Onuaku had his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Fredrick Edmond led WKU with 14 points and eight rebounds. The Hilltoppers entered the game shooting 40 percent from behind the arc, but missed their first 13 3s and scored a season-low 16 points in the first half.

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 Meet No. 2 Louisville on Black Friday in Nashville

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