WKU to Face No. 3 Southern Miss in Friday's C-USA Semifinals

WKU Game Notes | Southern Miss Game Notes

FRISCO, Texas — WKU Hilltopper Basketball advances to the Conference USA Championship semifinals as the No. 2 seed to face No. 3 seed Southern Miss at 3 p.m. CT Friday in Frisco, Texas. The game will air on CBS Sports Network.

The Hilltoppers reached the semifinals with a 67-51 win over North Texas in Thursday's quarterfinals. They've beaten Southern Miss in both meetings this season, including a 76-71 win in Bowling Green on March 3.

Southern Miss ousted defending champion Marshall 82-73 in Thursday's quarterfinals. WKU is 10-1 all-time vs. the Golden Eagles, while head coach Rick Stansbury is 5-0.

GAME 33

Conference USA Tournament Semifinals
No. 3 Southern Miss (20-11) vs. No. 2 WKU (19-13)
March 15, 2019 | 3 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 14-11 in conference tournament semifinals since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 1982-83. The Hilltoppers have reached at least the semifinals of their conference tourney in 13 of the last 15 seasons.
• With a win over Southern Miss, the Hilltoppers would secure 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 1,008 games dates back to March 15, 1987.
• WKU ranks 15th in the country in total blocks and 12th in blocked shots per game, and 12th in percentage of opponents' shots blocked, according to Ken Pomeroy. Its 164 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 30 points to reach 1,000.
• In the last 11 games, redshirt senior guard Lamonte Bearden has 74 combined assists against just 18 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 third freshman in the country since 1992 – along with Anthony Davis and Greg Oden – to average 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game, while also shooting at least 60 percent from the field.
• As of Thursday, Charles Bassey ranked second in the nation among freshmen in total rebounds, third in total blocks and third in field-goal percentage.
• 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 15 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 SOUTHERN MISS: MARCH 3, 2019

WKU made 11 3-pointers, including 8 of 12 in the second half, to secure a 76-71 home victory over Southern Miss at E.A. Diddle Arena. Taveion Hollingsworth had a game-high 21 points with three made 3s.

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.

WKU to Face No. 3 Southern Miss in Friday's C-USA Semifinals

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Players Mentioned

Charles Bassey

Lamonte Bearden

Taveion Hollingsworth