| Game 33 vs. Florida Atlantic C-USA Championship Quarterfinals Thursday, March 9 | 5:30 p.m. CT | Frisco, Texas Season presented by Med Center Health |
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| Records |  WKU (17-15) • Florida Atlantic (28-3) | ||||
| Listen |  Hilltopper Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship); C-USA.tv Audio; Varsity Network  Randy Lee (pxp) | Hal Schmitt (analysis) |
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| Watch | Â ESPN+ Â Ron Thulin (pxp) | Colin Boddicker (analysis) |
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| Live Stats | Â C-USA Stats | ||||
| Tickets | Â All-Session Passes | ||||
| Game Notes | Â WKU Game Notes | ||||
| Most Recent Media | Â Coach/McKnight Postgame Media | ||||
| Social Media | Â @WKUBasketball  | @WKUBasketball  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — After surviving the first round, WKU Hilltopper Basketball has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Championship and will take on top-seeded Florida Atlantic on Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m. CT.
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The Hilltoppers beat UTEP 73-67 to move into Thursday night action while Florida Atlantic claimed the regular-season championship and had a bye to start the tournament.
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WKU has advanced to the semi-finals of its conference championship in 14 of the last 17 seasons. The Hilltoppers are 22-6 in league championship quarterfinals dating back to 1983.
WKU VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC SERIES BREAKDOWN
Overall History: WKU leads 17-9
Series Record at neutral sites: WKU leads 1-0Â
Last Meeting: Florida Atlantic 70, WKU 63 | January 28, 2023 | Boca Raton, Fla.
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WKU Hilltopper Basketball battled for a full 40 minutes, but an uneven 3-point shooting night caused the Hilltoppers to fall 70-63 to No. 21 Florida Atlantic.
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The first 15 points of the game were scored from beyond the arc, creating a 9-6 lead for FAU. The two 3-pointers the Hilltoppers sank to start off the game would be their lone two for the entire game. WKU scored five straight to take a one-point, 13-12 lead by the 13:02 mark.
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Midway through the period, it became a back-and-forth game. FAU stepped up behind the arc, netting three in four attempts. Each time the Owls made a triple, Jordan Rawls and Dayvion McKnight had a response in favor of the Hilltoppers.
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WKU was able to score seven straight over the course of two minutes to take a lead of 30-28 with 50 seconds left on the clock. Unfortunately, two turnovers by the Hilltoppers led to the Owls scoring seven of their own to close out the half and regain a lead of 35-30.
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After halftime, FAU initially scored a 3-pointer, but then Emmanuel Akot came alive for the Hilltoppers. He scored six straight over a minute and a half to cut into the Owl lead, making it just 38-36.
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Florida Atlantic's Johnnell Davis had the biggest response, netting two 3's as the Owls went on an 8-2 make their advantage larger at 46-38.
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As the Owls pushed their lead to nine, WKU strung together six straight points to cut it to three with 3:13 remaining. The Tops would cut it to three once more, 63-60, with 1:56 on the clock, but never came closer.
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Tough calls down the stretch didn't go the Hilltoppers' way as Vladislav Goldin also scored his first points of the night. He scored all six of his points in the final 2:23 of the game, and his teammates only scored three in that time frame.
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Florida Atlantic hit 13 triples compared to WKU's two; six different Owls made a shot beyond the arc with all 10 guys who played putting at least four points on the board.
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Akot scored all 16 of his points in the second half, stepping up in a big way for the Red and White. Jordan Rawls had a game-high 17 with 13 of those coming in the first half. He added three assists and two steals as well.
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Jamarion Sharp pulled down a career-high 14 boards and did an excellent job on defense against Goldin, holding him to six points and four rebounds.
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Brandon Weatherspoon went 4 of 6 from behind the 3-point line, leading the Owls in scoring with 14 points while grabbing six balls off the glass.
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TOP STORYLINES
- Overall, WKU as a program is 29-10 in the last 15 conference tournaments, including four conference championships.
- Head coach Rick Stansbury is 5-5 against Florida Atlantic in his career while the Hilltoppers are 17-9 as a program all-time against the Owls.
- WKU is 19-16 on neutral sites under head coach Rick Stansbury.
- 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.
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.
