WKU secured its first win of the season with a 104-76 win over Campbellsville on Tuesday. The win marked the first for Hank Plona as head coach for the Hilltoppers. Khristian Lander led the Tops in scoring with a career-best 23 points off 9-for-13 shooting from the field, as five different Hilltoppers charted in double figures to help WKU improve to 1-2 on the year.
GAME INFO
WKU (1-2) vs. Lipscomb (2-2)
Sunday, Nov. 17 | 2 p.m. CT
E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.
Watch: ESPN+ (Scott Thompson, Dean Cooper)
Listen: Hilltopper Sports Radio Network | 100.7-FM (WKLX)/Varsity Network (Randy Lee, Hal Schmitt)
Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats
Game Notes: WKU | LIP
Tickets: WKUTickets.com | 1-800-5-BIG RED
ABOUT THE TOPS
- Lander's career-high 23 points helped the Hilltopper guard move into third place on the team in scoring with 14 ppg
- Lander currently leads the Tops in steals with five (1.7/G) for the year
- Don McHenry finished with back-to-back 20+ point totals in the Tops' first two games of the season, recording a team-high 23 points on the road at Grand Canyon and 21 points in the team's season opener against Wichita State
- McHenry currently charts as the Hilltoppers' leading scorer at 17.3 ppg and has averaged 2.7 assists per game, good for second most on the team
- Babacar Faye led the Tops in scoring in the team's season opener against Wichita State, charting a career-best 28 points with 8 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block
- Faye leads the team in total rebounding and blocks, pulling down 8.3 rebounds per outing and three offensive boards per game
- Jalen Jackson ranks 14th in the nation and first in CUSA in assist-to-turnover ratio at +9
- Julius Thedford's .600 three-point percentage leads CUSA and is the 29th best mark in the country
- WKU leads CUSA with an average of 35.3 bench points per game, good for 50th most nationally
- The Hilltoppers are averaging 86.7 points per game, the second-highest point total in CUSA and 66th highest nationally
- WKU is averaging 16.7 fast-break points per game, good for third in CUSA and 64th nationally
SERIES INFORMATION
WKU stands at an even 1-1 all-time against Lipscomb in a series dating back to 1936. The matchup Sunday afternoon will mark the first between the two programs since 1962 and the first-ever played in Bowling Green. The first two matchups took place in Nashville, with the Bisons winning in the teams' previous
meeting, 75-68. In the two games, WKU has scored no more than 70 points, scoring 50 in the win on Jan. 6, 1936 and 68 in the loss on Dec. 1, 1962.
SCOUTING THE BISONS
- Lipscomb is coming off an 80-79 loss to Belmont on Tuesday night to fall to 2-2 overall for the year
- The Bisons are led by senior forward Jacob Ognacevic who averages 23.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per outing
- The Bisons were picked to win the ASUN after receiving eight first place votes in the preseason
- Ognacevic along with Will Pruitt were named to the preseason All-ASUN team
Follow the team on social media (@wkubasketball) and visit wkusports.com for the latest news and updates on all things Hilltopper Basketball as the team continues its 2024-25 campaign.
