Hilltoppers Open C-USA Championship with UTEP Rematch

Game 32 vs. UTEP C-USA Championship - First Round Wednesday, March 8 \| 5:30 p.m. CT \| Frisco, Texas Season presented by Med Center Health
Records	WKU (16-15) • UTEP (14-17)
Listen	Hilltopper Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship); C-USA.tv Audio; Varsity Network Randy Lee (pxp) \| Hal Schmitt (analysis)
Watch	ESPN+ Ron Thulin (pxp) \| Colin Boddicker (analysis)
Live Stats	C-USA Stats
Tickets	All-Session Passes
Game Notes	WKU Game Notes \| UTEP Game Notes
Most Recent Media	Coach Preview Media
Social Media	@WKUBasketball \| @WKUBasketball \| Facebook \| YouTube

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball begins its postseason quest on Wednesday in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament in Frisco, Texas. The Hilltoppers will play the UTEP Miners at 5:30 p.m. CT on Court A. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

WKU finished the regular season with a loss at North Texas on Saturday. UTEP defeated Middle Tennessee 77-65 to earn the 9-seed.

The Hilltoppers have reached at least the semi-finals in 14 of their last 17 conference tournaments. They're 11-6 in the first round of their league tournaments dating back to 1983.

WKU VS. UTEP SERIES BREAKDOWN
Overall History: WKU leads 8-1
Series Record at neutral sites: WKU leads 1-0
Last Meeting: WKU 73, UTEP 68 | March 2, 2023 | El Paso, Texas

WKU Hilltopper Basketball got a gritty win on the road last Thursday night, beating UTEP 73-68 and sweeping the series against the Miners. WKU shot nearly 60% from the floor and outrebounded UTEP 32-27.

While UTEP took an immediate lead to start the game, the Hilltoppers wouldn't back down. WKU used an 11-2 run to take a 15-9 lead with 9:15 on the clock. The Miners opened the game going 4 of 15 from the field in that same stretch.

UTEP tied the game up at 17-all with a 6-0 run, taking a lead following the run with a 3-pointer from Tae Hardy, but WKU responded quickly with a 6-0 run of its own.

The Hilltoppers nearly closed the half on a 7-0 run, but a UTEP layup at the buzzer made the halftime score 34-27 in favor of WKU. It was the Miners only field goal in the final three minutes.

After opening the contest on a 4 of 15 shooting drought, UTEP closed it out making 7 of 9 attempts, including six straight. WKU shot 53.6% from the floor despite a 14.3% (1 of 7) mark from beyond the arc.

The second half was a back-and-forth game. UTEP was able to rattle off seven straight, taking a one-point, 44-43 lead by the 15:01 mark. However, WKU fought back and never wavered, making crucial shots at crucial times.

As shots were exchanged on the floor, the Hilltoppers were able to keep the Miners at arm's length. UTEP came within one point at 9:17 but was never able to regain the lead as WKU always had a response to a 3-point shot or makes at the free throw line.

The Miners narrowed the Hilltopper lead to 64-62 with 2:20 remaining, and Jordan Rawls jumped up and made a timely 3-pointer, with a hand in his face, to ice the game with 1:50 remaining.

The Hilltoppers faced foul trouble early on in the game and then again in the final three minutes. Jairus Hamilton played with four fouls for the final eight minutes of the game while Jamarion Sharp played with four for the final three minutes.

WKU shot 59.2% from the field, a season-best against Division I teams, while shooting 33.3% from long range. The Hilltoppers are now 15-0 this season when leading with five minutes to play.

WKU was led in scoring by Dayvion McKnight who had 24 points and paired it with seven boards. He shot 10 of 16 from the floor and a perfect 4 for 4 mark from the charity stripe.

Rawls scored 15 points and pulled down three boards. Jamarion Sharp blocked six shots, scored 10 points and logged nine rebounds.

UTEP had three scorers in double-digits: Calvin Solomon (16), Tae Hardy (17) and Shamar Givance (15).

TOP STORYLINES

Head coach Rick Stansbury is a perfect 6-0 against UTEP as WKU just defeated the Miners last Thursday. WKU as a program is 8-1 all-time against UTEP.
Jamarion Sharp was voted the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Junior Dayvion McKnight is the only player in the country to have two games this season of at least 32 points, three assists, four rebounds and two steals.
In his first six starts, Dontaie Allen made 24 3's on 48 attempts, shooting 50% from the arc and averaging 18.7 points per game.
Luke Frampton underwent surgery to repair his right ACL on Jan. 31. He tore that ACL less than three minutes into the game against Charlotte on Jan. 21, ending his collegiate career.
As of Monday, Jamarion Sharp leads the country in total blocks (127) and blocks per game (4.2). His average of 4.2 blocks/game is more than what 84% of Division I teams are averaging. His 127 blocks are more than what 83% of Division I programs have logged as a team.
In just 50 games as a Hilltopper, Jamarion Sharp broke the program record for blocks in a career, previously held by Jeremy Evans.
In the last two seasons, Dayvion McKnight has started in all 63 of WKU's contests, scoring at least 10 points in 54 of those.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Dontaie Allen

Luke Frampton

Jairus Hamilton

Dayvion McKnight

Jordan Rawls

Jamarion Sharp