Tops Travel to North Texas on Sunday with First Place on the Line

WKU Game Notes | North Texas Game Notes

DENTON, Texas — The battle for first place hits a crucial point as WKU Hilltopper Basketball travels to league-leading North Texas at 1 p.m. CT Sunday in Denton, Texas. The game will air on CBS Sports Network.

WKU is alone in second place in the standings after Thursday's 95-91 OT win over Louisiana Tech. The Tops can move into a tie for first place with a win Sunday.

WKU is 23-5 all-time against North Texas and has won the last 11 meetings, including a 93-84 victory on Jan. 2 in Diddle Arena. Head coach Rick Stansbury is 6-0 in his career against the Mean Green.

GAME 29

WKU (19-9, 12-4 C-USA) at North Texas (19-10, 13-3 C-USA)
March 1, 2020 | 1 p.m. CT
The Super Pit | Denton, Texas

BROADCAST

Listen: Hilltopper Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), C-USA.tv Audio (free), TuneIn Radio (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: CBS Sports Network (John Sadak, pxp | Chris Walker, analysis)
Live Stats: North Texas Stats

TOP STORYLINES

• This week, the Hilltoppers are pursuing both their 46th 20-win season and the program's first regular-season conference title since 2009. Only six schools have more 20-win seasons, and only two schools have more regular-season conference championships.

• Junior guard Taveion Hollingsworth turned in one of the top individual performances in program history with a career-high 43 points in Thursday's overtime win over Louisiana Tech. It was the eighth-most points ever by a Hilltopper and the most since 1971.

• WKU has overcome a double-digit deficit in five C-USA wins this season, and has trailed in the second half of eight of its 12 league victories. That includes rallying from a 17-point deficit on Thursday to defeat Louisiana Tech in overtime.

• WKU has made 151 more free throws (499) than its opponents have even attempted (348) through 28 games.

• In the last 14 games, junior guard Taveion Hollingsworth is averaging 19.8 points per game while shooting 86.8 percent (92 of 106) from the free-throw line. Hollingsworth now ranks 18th in WKU history in all-time scoring, as well as ninth in career games started and 10th in career minutes.

• Over the last eight games, redshirt senior guard/forward Jared Savage has averaged 13.6 points and 10 rebounds, while making 23 of 50 3-point attempts (46 percent).

• As of Friday, WKU ranked fifth nationally in free-throw percentage (79.2), sixth in free throws made (499), fifth in fouls per game (13.6), 46th in scoring offense (76.2 ppg) and 45th in free-throw attempts (630).

LAST GAME AGAINST NORTH TEXAS: JANUARY 2, 2020

WKU fell behind by 15 in the second half, but caught fire from deep and scored 61 after the break to power past North Texas 93-84 in the Conference USA opener at E.A. Diddle Arena.

WKU trailed 49-34 with 18:18 left, but rattled off 16 straight points – the start of a 35-8 run that saw the Hilltoppers go from 15 down to up 69-57 in a span of just eight minutes.

WKU shot 54.9 percent from the field, including 69.2 percent in the second half, and made 9 of 13 3-pointers after the break. At one point in the second half, the Hilltoppers made nine straight shots.

Five Hilltoppers reached double figures, led by junior guard Josh Anderson's 19 points, five rebounds and three assists. Graduate senior guard Camron Justice and freshman guard Jordan Rawls each scored 18 points and made three 3-pointers, while Justice added seven rebounds.

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.

Tops Travel to North Texas on Sunday with First Place on the Line

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Players Mentioned

Josh Anderson

Taveion Hollingsworth

Camron Justice

Jordan Rawls

Jared Savage