WKU Game Notes | UTSA Game Notes
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball plays its regular season finale against UTSA at 6:30 p.m. CT Wednesday at E.A. Diddle Arena. The game will air on beIN SPORTS and will be Senior Night for guard Lamonte Bearden.
The Hilltoppers have clinched a first-round bye in the Conference USA Tournament and could secure the No. 2 seed with a win Wednesday. WKU is coming off a 76-71 home win over Southern Miss on Sunday.
UTSA beat UAB on Sunday to snap a three-game slide. WKU leads the all-time series over the Roadrunners 4-2, including a 96-88 overtime win on Jan. 31 in Diddle. Head coach Rick Stansbury is 2-2 all-time vs. UTSA.
GAME 31
UTSA (16-13, 10-6 C-USA) at WKU (18-12, 11-6 C-USA)
March 6, 2019 | 6:30 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: beIN SPORTS (Phil Schoen, pxp | Megan Perry, analysis)
Live Stats: WKU Stats
QUICK SHOTS
• If WKU can earn the No. 2 seed in the Conference USA Tournament, it would be its highest finish in five years in C-USA, as well as its highest finish overall since claiming the No. 2 seed in the Sun Belt in 2014.
• 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 1,006 games dates back to March 15, 1987.
• WKU ranks 11th in the country in total blocks and 12th in blocked shots per game, and 17th in percentage of opponents' shots blocked, according to Ken Pomeroy. Its average of 5.1 blocks per game would be its highest on record. Charles Bassey ranks second in C-USA in blocks per game (2.4).
• Sophomore guard Taveion Hollingsworth needs just 63 points to reach 1,000. | More info pg. 8.
• In the last nine games, redshirt senior guard Lamonte Bearden has 58 combined assists against just 15 turnovers. He leads C-USA in conference play with a 3.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Sophomore guard Josh Anderson is 1 of 10 players in the country with at least 120 total rebounds, 50 steals and 21 blocks this season. He's the only player from Conference USA to reach those marks.
• WKU freshman center Charles Bassey could become 1 of 3 freshmen in the country since 1992 – along with Greg Oden and current NBA star Anthony Davis – to average 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game, while also shooting at least 60 percent from the field.
• As of Tuesday, Charles Bassey ranked second in the nation among freshmen in total rebounds (297), tied for second in total blocks (72) and third in field-goal percentage (62.5 percent).
• As of Tuesday, Charles Bassey ranked in the top 30 nationally in double-doubles (20th), field-goal percentage (13th), blocks per game (14th), total blocks (9th), rebounds per game (19th), defensive rebounds per game (29th) and total rebounds (16th).
• Charles Bassey's 14 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.
TICKETS
WKU Ticket Office: Limited single-game tickets for the UTSA game remain available in person at the WKU Ticket Office, by phone at 1-800-5-BIGRED or online at WKUTickets.com.
PROMOTIONS
• Senior Night honoring guard Lamonte Bearden (pregame at approximately 6:10 p.m. CT)
• 16th piece of 16-piece 100th season commemorative poster (Big Red/Chris Marcus) for first 3,000 fans
LAST GAME AGAINST UTSA: JANUARY 31, 2019
WKU forced overtime against UTSA, survived the highest-scoring effort from an opposing player ever at E.A. Diddle Arena, then stormed to victory in overtime for a 96-88 win. UTSA's Jhivvan Jackson scored 46 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.
