WKU Welcomes Rice to Diddle Arena for Saturday Afternoon Matchup

WKU Game Notes | Rice Game Notes | WKU Gameday Information

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball continues Conference USA play against Rice at 4 p.m. CT Saturday at E.A. Diddle Arena. The game will stream online on ESPN3 and air locally in Bowling Green on WKU PBS.

The Hilltoppers began league action Thursday with a 93-84 comeback home win over North Texas.

Rice lost 89-69 at Marshall in Thursday's C-USA opener. WKU is 4-2 all-time against the Owls, including three straight wins. The teams have not played in Bowling Green since 2017. WKU head coach Rick Stansbury is 3-0 in his career against Rice.

GAME 14

Rice (8-6, 0-1 C-USA) at WKU (8-5, 1-0 C-USA)
January 4, 2019 | 4 p.m. CT
E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.

BROADCAST

Listen: Hilltopper Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), C-USA.tv Audio (free), TuneIn Radio (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: ESPN3; WKU PBS in Bowling Green (Graham Doty, pxp | Jay Walton, analysis)
Live Stats: WKU Stats

TOP STORYLINES

• WKU had 10 assists and zero turnovers in the second half of Thursday's victory over North Texas. It was the first time the Tops haven't had a turnover in a half since the second half against Charlotte on Jan. 8, 2015.

• The Hilltoppers have had memorable comebacks in their last two wins. WKU trailed by 15 with 18:18 left in Thursday's win over North Texas, and by five with 36 seconds remaining in regulation against Arkansas.

• Since the injury to Charles Bassey, redshirt junior forward Carson Williams has led WKU in scoring and rebounding. He's averaging 17.3 points and 7.7 rebounds over the last three contests.

• Junior guard Josh Anderson has entered the starting lineup with Bassey out. After reaching double figures in two of the first nine games of the year, Anderson has scored at least 10 points in four straight contests.

• As of Friday, WKU ranked 23rd in the country in field-goal percentage (48.3), 22nd in free-throw percentage (76.9), 12th in fouls per game (14.1), 36th in scoring offense (79.9 ppg) and 41st in blocks per game (4.8).

• WKU has made 40 more free throws (220) than its opponents have even attempted (180) through 13 games.

TICKETS

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

PROMOTIONS

• Star Wars Day – dress in costume!
• First 2,000 fans receive a Star Wars lightsaber
• American Bank and Trust putt from 3pt line to win $1,000 cash
• Wendy's Freeze Out Promo - If an opposing player misses two free throws in a row, every fan in the arena gets a free Wendy's Frosty
• Smart Start Post Game Shootaround on court for all kids
• Taco Bell Challenge – When WKU scores 70 points or more, all fans can redeem a free taco at Taco Bell

LAST GAME AGAINST RICE: FEBRUARY 7, 2019

WKU held Rice scoreless for more than seven minutes late in regulation, then made clutch plays in the extra periods for a 92-85 road victory in double overtime.

The Hilltoppers played without head coach Rick Stansbury, who missed the game because of a lingering back injury.

The Owls forced double OT with a late 3-pointer, but WKU scored the first five points of the second extra period, and Rice didn't score in the frame until the 1:50 mark.

Josh Anderson led all scorers with 24 points, nine rebounds and four steals, while Jared Savage added 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and five made 3s.

MED CENTER HEALTH

The 2019-20 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 Welcomes Rice to Diddle Arena for Saturday Afternoon Matchup

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Players Mentioned

Josh Anderson

Charles Bassey

Jared Savage

Carson Williams