Game 13Â at #20/18 Kentucky Wednesday, Dec. 22 | 5 p.m. CT | Lexington, Ky. Season presented by Med Center Health |
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Records |  WKU (8-4) • Kentucky (8-2) | ||||
Listen |  Randy Lee (play-by-play) | Hal Schmitt (analysis)  Hilltopper Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship); C-USA.tv Audio; Varsity Network |
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Watch |  Karl Ravech (play-by-play) | Chris Spatola (analysis)  ESPN |
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Live Stats | Â Kentucky Stats | ||||
Game Notes | Â WKU Game Notes | Kentucky Game Notes | ||||
Pregame Video | Â Coach Stansbury | ||||
Social Media | Â @WKUBasketball ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
LEXINGTON, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball will play a newly scheduled game against in-state foe No. 20/18 Kentucky at 5 p.m. CT Wednesday in Lexington, Ky. The game will air on ESPN.
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The Hilltoppers have won three straight games, including an 82-72 home win over Louisville – UK's previously scheduled opponent – on Saturday. The Wildcats routed North Carolina 98-69 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
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WKU is 2-4 all-time against Kentucky, although the two haven't met in the regular season since 2001 – and only three times ever in the regular season. WKU head coach Rick Stansbury is 4-13 in his career against the Wildcats.
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UK Athletics is working on a charitable component from the game that will provide support for those who were affected by the Dec. 11 tornadoes.
TOP STORYLINES
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• WKU's last game against Kentucky came in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. The top-ranked Wildcats won that game 81-66 and went on to win the national championship. The last meeting before that was on Nov. 15, 2001, when WKU upset fourth-ranked Kentucky 64-52 in Rupp Arena.
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• WKU is 30-49 all-time against the current SEC membership, while head coach Rick Stansbury – a longtime head coach at Mississippi State – is 144-117 in his career against the SEC. WKU has won a game against a SEC foe each of the last four years and is 4-1 in that span vs. the SEC, winning at Arkansas in 2018, at home against the Razorbacks in 2019, at Alabama in 2020, and against Ole Miss in Atlanta on Dec. 11.
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• The Hilltoppers are 11-8 against Power Five opponents in the last five years, with double-digit wins over Ole Miss and Louisville since Dec. 11 of this season alone.
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• WKU junior center Jamarion Sharp is the tallest player in college basketball at 7 feet, 5 inches. He's also the tallest player in the history of the Hilltopper program. Sharp leads the nation in blocks percentage (19.7%), total blocks (58) and blocks per game (4.8).
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• Since entering the starting lineup eight games ago, Jamarion Sharp is averaging 10.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 37 of 48 (77.1%) from the field.
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• Sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight is the only player in the country averaging at least 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals per game this season.
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LAST GAME AGAINST LOUISVILLE: DECEMBER 1, 2020
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Terrence Jones had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Anthony Davis had 16 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks as top-ranked Kentucky defeated WKU 81-66 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
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T.J. Price led four WKU players in double figures with 21 points.
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The Wildcats built a 19-point halftime lead that the Hilltoppers couldn't overcome, although they did outscore Kentucky by four in the second half.
MED CENTER HEALTH
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The 2021-22 WKU Basketball season is proudly presented by Med Center Health. Med Center Health has served Southcentral Kentucky for more than 90 years, and its system of care includes six acute care hospitals, a comprehensive network of physician practices and clinics, and hundreds of area physicians offering care in dozens of specialties. From emergency treatment to preventative care, Med Center Health is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the communities it serves. Learn more at medcenterhealth.org.
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