Hilltoppers Host Rival Middle Tennessee in Thursday Home Game

VIDEO: Guards Anderson, Savage Preview Middle Tennessee

WKU Game Notes | Middle Tennessee Game Notes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball enters the final week before Bonus Play with two home games, starting against rival Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m. CT Thursday at E.A. Diddle Arena. The game will stream on CBS Sports Network on Facebook Watch.

The Hilltoppers have won seven of their last eight games, including four straight. WKU is 93-43 all-time against Middle Tennessee in a series that dates back to the 1914-15 season. The Hilltoppers have lost eight of the last nine to the Blue Raiders and haven't beaten them at home since 2012. Head coach Rick Stansbury is 0-4 in his career against Middle Tennessee.

GAME 26

Middle Tennessee (8-17, 5-7 C-USA) at WKU (15-10, 8-4 C-USA)
February 14, 2019 | 7 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 (Jason Horowitz, pxp | Tim Doyle, analysis | Melanie Collins, sideline)
Live Stats: WKU Stats

QUICK SHOTS

• WKU has won four games in a row for the first time this season. It previously won three in a row three times.
• WKU head coach Rick Stansbury will miss Thursday and Saturday's games as he has back surgery Friday. Assistant coach Marc Hsu served as interim coach in his place last week. With Stansbury out, director of basketball operations Talvis Franklin has also served in a fourth coaching role.
• WKU became the fifth program in NCAA history to reach 1,000 straight games with a made 3-pointer at Rice on Feb. 7. The Hilltoppers' streak of 1,001 games dates back to March 15, 1987.
• WKU is one of the youngest teams in the country, ranking 325th of 353 in experience, per Ken Pomeroy.
• WKU ranks seventh in the country in total blocks and 14th in blocked shots per game, and 20th in percentage of opponents' shots blocked, according to Ken Pomeroy. Its average of 5.1 blocks per game would tie its highest on record. Charles Bassey ranks second in C-USA in blocks per game (2.3).
• Since putting on a protective mask for a broken nose suffered Jan. 24, sophomore guard Josh Anderson has averaged 17 points per game in the last four outings.
• In the last four games, redshirt senior guard Lamonte Bearden has 31 combined assists against just four turnovers. He leads C-USA in conference play with a 3.8-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• WKU freshman center Charles Bassey has more blocks himself (58) this year than 63 Division I teams.
• As of Tuesday, Charles Bassey led the nation among freshmen in total rebounds (254), tied for second in total blocks (58), and ranked third in field-goal percentage (63.4 percent).
• As of Tuesday, Charles Bassey ranked in the top 50 nationally in double-doubles (16th), field-goal percentage (10th), blocks per game (17th), total blocks (12th), rebounds per game (17th), offensive rebounds per game (43rd), defensive rebounds per game (26th) and total rebounds (13th).
• Charles Bassey's 12 double-doubles this season are the most on record by a Hilltopper freshman. Bassey leads C-USA in double-doubles and is 1 of 2 freshmen in the entire nation averaging a double-double.

TICKETS

WKU Ticket Office: Limited single-game tickets for the Middle Tennessee game remain available in person at the WKU Ticket Office, by phone at 1-800-5-BIGRED or online at WKUTickets.com.

PROMOTIONS

• 13th piece of 16-piece 100th season commemorative poster (Josh Anderson/Clem Haskins) for first 3,000 fans
• Date Night – 2 for $25 Valentines Day ticket special

LAST GAME AGAINST MIDDLE TENNESSEE: MARCH 1, 2018

A rough end to the first half and top-25 Middle Tennessee's hot shooting worked against WKU in an 82-64 road loss. Redshirt junior guard Lamonte Bearden tied a career high with 24 points to lead the Hilltoppers.

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.

Hilltoppers Host Rival Middle Tennessee in Thursday Home Game

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Josh Anderson

Charles Bassey

Lamonte Bearden