| Game 26 at Southern Miss Monday, Feb. 14 | 7 p.m. CT | Hattiesburg, Miss. Season presented by Med Center Health |
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| Records |  WKU (14-11, 6-6 C-USA) • Southern Miss (6-17, 1-9 C-USA) | ||||
| 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 |  Lee Roberts (play-by-play) | Larry Boyd (analysis)  ESPN+ |
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| Live Stats | Â Southern Miss Stats | ||||
| Game Notes | Â WKU Game Notes | Southern Miss Game Notes | ||||
| Pregame Video | Â Coach Stansbury | Hamilton/Anderson | ||||
| Social Media | Â @WKUBasketball  | @WKUBasketball  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
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HATTIESBURG, Miss. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball vies for its first five-game winning streak of the season Monday at Southern Miss at 7 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN+.
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The Hilltoppers have won four in a row and three straight on the road, most recently holding off UTSA 71-65 for a road victory Saturday. Southern Miss has lost six straight games, including an 84-63 defeat at UAB on Thursday.
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WKU is 12-1 all-time against the Golden Eagles, including 4-1 in Hattiesburg. Hilltopper head coach Rick Stansbury is 7-0 in his career against Southern Miss and 197-52 (.791) all-time in games played in the state of Mississippi.
TOP STORYLINES
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• During WKU's four-game winning streak, the Hilltoppers have shot 51% from the field and 40% from 3-point range, held opponents to 29% from 3, and committed just 8.3 turnovers per game.
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• As of Sunday, WKU leads the country in fewest fouls per game (12.0) and ranks fifth in total blocks (146), eighth in blocks per game (5.8), 27th in field-goal percentage (47.6%), 35th in total steals (209), 40th in steals per game (8.4) and 50th in total assists (373).
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• Last month, junior center Jamarion Sharp was named to the watch list for the Naismith Men's National Defensive Player of the Year. This is the second straight year WKU has put a player on the list, with Charles Bassey making the semifinals for the award last season. WKU is one of just four schools – along with Baylor, Tennessee and Richmond – to have a player on the watch list the last two seasons.
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• 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 total dunks (67) and ranks second in total blocks (111), blocks per game (4.4) and block percentage (17.2%).
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• Jamarion Sharp has more blocks himself this season (111) than 307 Division I programs have as a team, which is 88% of all D-I teams. He now holds the WKU record for most blocks in a season.
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• Sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight is the only player in the country averaging at least 15 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals per game this year. He ranks seventh nationally in total assists (155) and assists per game (6.2).
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LAST GAME AGAINST SOUTHERN MISS: FEBRUARY 8, 2020
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The Hilltoppers rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit against Southern Miss, dominating the free-throw line and taking care of the ball in historic fashion in a 75-72 victory at E.A. Diddle Arena.
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WKU started the game 4-for-25 from 3-point range against Southern Miss' zone, but made its final two attempts in the last 3:18.
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The first was a corner 3 from redshirt senior guard/forward Jared Savage to put the Hilltoppers in front 65-63 with 3:18 to go – their first lead since the opening four minutes.
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The last 3-pointer was the dagger, a tough shot from graduate senior guard Camron Justice with 25 seconds left that gave WKU a four-point cushion.
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Carson Williams led all scorers with 24 points.
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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