Hilltoppers Meet Top-Seeded Old Dominion for Conference USA Title

WKU Game Notes | Old Dominion Game Notes

FRISCO, Texas — WKU Hilltopper Basketball advances to its second straight Conference USA Championship final as the No. 2 seed to face top-seeded Old Dominion at 7:30 p.m. CT Saturday in Frisco, Texas. The game will air on CBS Sports Network.

The Hilltoppers reached the title game with a 70-59 win over Southern Miss in Friday's semifinals. They've lost twice at Old Dominion this season by a combined seven points. WKU led the first game 21-0 and the second game by three with less than two minutes left.

Old Dominion survived for a 61-59 semifinal win over UAB on Friday. WKU is 19-20 all-time against the Monarchs.

GAME 34

Conference USA Tournament Final
No. 1 Old Dominion (25-8) vs. No. 2 WKU (20-13)
March 16, 2019 | 7:30 p.m. CT
Ford Center at The Star | Frisco, Texas

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 (Carter Blackburn, pxp | Pete Gillen, analysis | John Schriffen, sideline)
Live Stats: Conference USA Stats

QUICK SHOTS

• WKU is 9-5 in conference championship games since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 1982-83. It has made back-to-back title games for the first time since 2012-13 and is seeking its first title since 2013.
• The Hilltoppers have allowed an average of 55 points per game through two C-USA Championship outings. They are 7-0 this season when they hold their opponent to 60 points or less.
• With the win over Southern Miss, the Hilltoppers secured the 45th 20-win season in program history. WKU ranks seventh in NCAA history for most 20-win seasons.
• 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 1,009 games dates back to March 15, 1987.
• WKU ranks 15th in the country in total blocks and 12th in blocked shots per game, and 14th in percentage of opponents' shots blocked, according to Ken Pomeroy. Its 168 total blocks and average of 5.1 blocks per game are the team's highest on record. Charles Bassey ranks second in C-USA in blocks per game (2.4).
• Sophomore guard Taveion Hollingsworth needs just 13 points to reach 1,000. | More info pg. 8.
• In the last 12 games, redshirt senior guard Lamonte Bearden has 78 combined assists against just 20 turnovers. He leads C-USA in conference play with a 3.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• WKU freshman center Charles Bassey could become the second freshman in the country since 1992 – along with Anthony Davis – to average 14 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game, while also shooting at least 60 percent from the field.
• As of Thursday, Charles Bassey ranked in the top 30 nationally in double-doubles (21st), field-goal percentage (11th), blocks per game (14th), total blocks (14th), rebounds per game (18th), defensive rebounds per game (29th) and total rebounds (25th).
• Charles Bassey's 16 double-doubles this season are the most on record by a Hilltopper freshman. Bassey leads C-USA in double-doubles and ranks second in the nation among freshmen in double-doubles.

LAST MATCHUP AGAINST OLD DOMINION: FEBRUARY 23, 2019

WKU led by three with 1:25 to play at Old Dominion, but the Monarchs scored the final seven points of the game to deal the Hilltoppers a 67-63 road loss. Taveion Hollingsworth paced WKU with 17 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.

Hilltoppers Meet Top-Seeded Old Dominion for Conference USA Title

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Players Mentioned

Charles Bassey

Lamonte Bearden

Taveion Hollingsworth