| Game 5 vs. Illinois State | Cayman Islands Classic Tuesday, November 22 | 10 a.m. CT | Georgetown, Grand Cayman Season presented by Med Center Health |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Records | WKU (3-1) • Illinois State (2-3) | ||||
| Listen | Randy Lee (play-by-play) | Hal Schmitt (analysis) Hilltopper Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship); C-USA.tv Audio; Varsity Network |
||||
| Watch | Scott Warmann (play-by-play) | Jess Settles (analysis) FloHoops |
||||
| Live Stats | Cayman Islands Classic Stats | ||||
| Tickets | Cayman Islands Classic Tickets | ||||
| Game Notes | WKU Game Notes | Illinois State Game Notes | ||||
| Pregame Video | No pregame press conference | ||||
| Social Media | @WKUBasketball  | @WKUBasketball  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
||||
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball will take on Illinois State in its second game of the Cayman Islands Classic on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. CT. The game will stream live on FloHoops.
WKU fell to Akron 72-53 in the opening round of the Classic on Monday afternoon. Illinois State was defeated by LSU 77-61 in its first-round match-up.
The last time these two teams met was in another regular season tournament: the 2019 Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. Illinois State leads the all-time series 3-2 while head coach Rick Stansbury is 1-0 against the Redbirds.
WKU VS. ILLINOIS STATE SERIES BREAKDOWN
Overall History: Illinois State leads 3-2
Series Record at Location: WKU leads 1-0 at neutral sites
Last Meeting: WKU 83, Illinois State 69
In the second round of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands, WKU defeated Illinois state 83-69 to move to a 5-1 record on the year.
The Hilltoppers had four players in double-figures: Carson Williams (11), Jared Savage (16), Camron Justice (19) and Jordan Rawls (14).
WKU shot 54% from the field, which included a 57.9% mark from beyond the arc.
TOP STORYLINES
- WKU is 8-7 since 2017 in regular-season tournaments. The Hilltoppers won two games each in the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis, 2018 Myrtle Beach Invitational, 2019 Paradise Jam and 2020 Crossover Classic.
- The last time WKU played the Redbirds was in this exact same scenario in 2019 after both teams lost their first-round games of the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. WKU won that match-up 83-69. Current WKU staff member Camron Justice scored 19 points, hitting 4 3-pointers while current Hilltopper senior Jordan Rawls scored 14. He shot 5 of 8 from the field, also hitting 4 3-pointers.
- With 13 blocks against Indianapolis on Nov. 15, the Hilltoppers broke the program's record for blocks in a single game.
- In WKU's 127-61 rout of Kentucky State on Nov. 12, the team broke numerous 3-point shooting records for both the program and in NCAA DI history.
- Emmanuel Akot became just the second player in college basketball since at least 2010-11 to notch his stat line or better in 23 minutes or less.
- Three Hilltoppers were named to the Conference USA Preseason All-Conference team: Dayvion McKnight, Emmanuel Akot & Jamarion Sharp.
- Jamarion Sharp is the tallest player in college basketball for the second season in a row at 7 feet, 5 inches. He's also the tallest player in the history of the Hilltopper program. WKU has seven players who are 6-foot-7 or taller and is the country's tallest team, according to Ken Pom.
MED CENTER HEALTH
The 2022-23 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.
