Diddle Sold Out for Saturday Afternoon Matchup with UAB

WKU Game Notes | UAB Game Notes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball plays its final game before Bonus Play begins at home against UAB at 2 p.m. CT Saturday at E.A. Diddle Arena. The game will stream on Stadium on Facebook.

The Hilltoppers have won eight of their last nine outings, including five in a row. They most recently defeated rival Middle Tennessee at home Thursday.

UAB won at Marshall on Thursday to snap a four-game slide. The Blazers lead the all-time series 23-15, although WKU has won three of the last four. Hilltopper head coach Rick Stansbury is 5-2 in his career against UAB.

GAME 27

UAB (15-11, 7-6 C-USA) at WKU (16-10, 9-4 C-USA)
February 16, 2019 | 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: Stadium on Facebook (Mike Monaco, pxp | Tim Scarborough, analysis | Kristen Balboni, sideline)
Live Stats: WKU Stats

QUICK SHOTS

• WKU has won five games in a row for the first time since February of the 2017-18 season.
• WKU head coach Rick Stansbury will miss this week's games after undergoing back surgery Friday. Assistant coach Marc Hsu is serving as interim coach in his place. 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 1,002 games dates back to March 15, 1987.
• WKU is one of the youngest teams in the country, ranking 323rd of 353 in experience, per Ken Pomeroy.
• WKU ranks eighth in the country in total blocks and 13th in blocked shots per game, and 18th in percentage of opponents' shots blocked, according to Ken Pomeroy. Its average of 5.2 blocks per game would tie its highest on record. Charles Bassey ranks second in C-USA in blocks per game (2.4).
• In the last five games, redshirt senior guard Lamonte Bearden has 39 combined assists against just five turnovers. He leads C-USA in conference play with a 4.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• After scoring 13-plus points just once in the Hilltoppers' first 10 games of the season, sophomore guard Josh Anderson has scored at least 13 points in 12 of the last 16 games for WKU.
• WKU freshman center Charles Bassey has more blocks himself (62) this year than 67 Division I teams.
• As of Friday, Charles Bassey led the nation among freshmen in total rebounds (261), tied for first in total blocks (62), and ranked third in field-goal percentage (63.0 percent).
• As of Friday, Charles Bassey ranked in the top 30 nationally in double-doubles (17th), field-goal percentage (11th), blocks per game (15th), total blocks (11th), rebounds per game (18th), defensive rebounds per game (29th) and total rebounds (14th).
• 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: Saturday's game against UAB is officially sold out.

PROMOTIONS

• 14th piece of 16-piece 100th season commemorative poster (Marek Nelson/Kannard Johnson) for first 3,000 fans
• Star Wars Day: First 1,000 fans receive a FREE lightsaber, and fans are encouraged to dress in costume
• Free pizza for students – provided by SGA
• Coming Home King ceremony at halftime

LAST GAME AGAINST UAB: MARCH 8, 2018

Five days after losing at UAB by 28, the third-seeded Hilltoppers stormed past UAB 98-70 in the C-USA Championship quarterfinals in Frisco, Texas. Taveion Hollingsworth led all scorers with 22 points.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Josh Anderson

Charles Bassey

Lamonte Bearden

Taveion Hollingsworth

Marek Nelson