Tops Begin First C-USA Road Swing at UAB on Thursday

WKU Game Notes | UAB Game Notes

Video: Stansbury Previews UAB | Savage/Anderson Preview UAB

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball goes on the road for the first time in Conference USA play this week, starting at UAB at 7 p.m. CT Thursday in Birmingham, Ala. The game will air on Stadium and on WKU PBS locally in Bowling Green.

The Hilltoppers are 2-0 in C-USA after notching home wins over North Texas and Rice last week.

UAB is off to an 0-2 start following road losses at Charlotte and Old Dominion, snapping a five-game winning streak. WKU is 16-24 all-time against the Blazers, including 4-15 on the road. WKU head coach Rick Stansbury is 6-3 in his career against UAB.

GAME 15

WKU (9-5, 2-0 C-USA) at UAB (9-6, 0-2 C-USA)
January 9, 2019 | 7 p.m. CT
Bartow Arena | Birmingham, Ala.

BROADCAST

Listen: Hilltopper Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), C-USA.tv Audio (free), TuneIn Radio (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: Stadium; WKU PBS in Bowling Green (Chris Hassel, pxp | Tim Scarborough, analysis)
Live Stats: UAB Stats

TOP STORYLINES

• WKU will be trying to start 3-0 in Conference USA play for the third time in four seasons under head coach Rick Stansbury.

• After having 10-plus turnovers in every prior game this season, WKU has had 10 turnovers or less in three straight games. WKU last had three consecutive games with 10 turnovers or less in November 2015.

• Since the season-ending injury to Charles Bassey, redshirt junior forward Carson Williams has led WKU in scoring and rebounding. He's averaging 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds over the last four contests. Williams is also shooting 61.2 percent from the field, which leads C-USA and ranks 23rd nationally.

• 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 five straight contests.

• As of Tuesday, 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 46 more free throws (234) than its opponents have even attempted (188) through 14 games.

LAST GAME AGAINST UAB: FEBRUARY 28, 2019

WKU headed into March on a positive note, rallying for a 73-67 road win at UAB.

The Hilltoppers trailed 36-31 at halftime, but came to life in the last 10 minutes of the game.

WKU used an 8-0 run to pull in front 60-57 with 5:42 left and never trailed again. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Tops at UAB's Bartow Arena.

Freshman center Charles Bassey paced WKU with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while sophomore guard Taveion Hollingsworth poured in 17 points – including 15 in the second half.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Josh Anderson

Charles Bassey

Taveion Hollingsworth

Carson Williams