After a thrilling 2-1 trip to the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, WKU Hilltopper Basketball returns home to host Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday at E.A. Diddle Arena.
The Hilltoppers are coming off back-to-back wins over No. 18 Purdue and SMU.
This will be the 157th all-time meeting between WKU and Eastern Kentucky, with the Hilltoppers leading the all-time series 112-44 – their most wins against a single opponent.
WKU had won the last 13 meetings between the two programs until the Colonels’ 78-59 victory last season in Richmond. WKU head coach Rick Stansbury is 2-1 all-time against Eastern Kentucky.
GAME 7
Eastern Kentucky (3-3) at WKU (4-2)
November 29, 2017 | 7 p.m. CT
Bowling Green, Ky. | E.A. Diddle Arena
BROADCAST
Listen: Hilltopper IMG Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), WKUSports.tv (free), TuneIn Radio (free) (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: Stadium Live on Facebook (Jason Knapp (pxp), Doug Gottlieb (analysis), Teryn Schaefer (Facebook reporter))
Live Stats: WKU Stats
QUICK SHOTS
• WKU is 13-4 (.765) at E.A. Diddle Arena under head coach Rick Stansbury. The Hilltoppers are 586-167 all-time at Diddle Arena for a .778 winning percentage.
• WKU has made at least one 3-pointer in 944 consecutive games, dating back to March 15, 1987. The 3-point shot was instituted prior to the 1986-87 season.
• According to the most recent Sagarin Ratings, WKU is ranked fifth in the country in strength of schedule with two games against teams in the top 13 and a 2-1 record against teams in the top 50. The Hilltoppers are also ranked sixth in strength of schedule by Ken Pomeroy.
• The Hilltoppers have made 99 of 145 free throws through six games, while their opponents have made just 59 of 79. WKU’s 45 free throws attempted against Nicholls were its most since shooting 50 against Alabama A&M on Nov. 15, 2010. Nicholls’ 32 fouls were the most by a Hilltopper opponent since Alabama A&M was whistled 37 times against WKU on Nov. 15, 2010.
• Six of WKU’s seven scholarship players are averaging in double figures, between 10.7 and 13.8 points.
• WKU ranks 23rd in the nation and first in C-USA in turnovers forced at 18.5 per game. Lamonte Bearden ranks 29th in the country in steals per game (2.5). Bearden has 15 steals through six games after WKU had no player with more than 28 steals all last season.
• Dwight Coleby is tied for eighth nationally and leads C-USA with four double-doubles. He also ranks 40th nationally in field-goal percentage at 63.3 percent.
• As of Monday, Justin Johnson was tied for seventh among active NCAA players for career rebounds and tied for eighth in career double-doubles. He’s one of just six active NCAA players with at least 1,000 career points and 750 rebounds.
• Justin Johnson is 31st on WKU’s all-time scoring list with 1,185 career points. He needs 21 points to pass Michael Fraliex to move into 30th.
• Justin Johnson currently ranks ninth on WKU’s all-time list for career field goal percentage at 54.2 percent. He’s less than two percentage points from fifth place.
• Justin Johnson needs 248 rebounds to reach 1,000 for his career. That would make him just the fifth player in WKU history with 1,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds, joining Tom Marshall, Art Spoelstra, Ralph Crosthwaite and Jim McDaniels, the last to accomplish the feat in 1971.
PROMOTIONS
Coats for Kids: Donate a coat and receive a complimentary ticket.
Pint Glass Giveaway: The first 1,000 fans receive a WKU pint glass.
TICKETS
WKU Ticket Office: Online at WKUTickets.com, in person at E.A. Diddle Arena, via phone at 1-800-5-BIG Red or 745-5222 locally.
LAST GAME AGAINST EASTERN KENTUCKY: NOVEMBER 30, 2016
Asante Gist scored 19 points and Eastern Kentucky defeated WKU 78-59 in Richmond to end a 13-game skid in their series with the Hilltoppers. Nick Mayo and Isaac McGlone scored 14 points each for EKU. The Hilltoppers were led by Justin Johnson with 18 points and eight rebounds. Junior Lomomba added 15 points.
MED CENTER HEALTH
The 2017-18 WKU Basketball season is presented by Med Center Health. With The Medical Center at its core, Med Center Health has served Southcentral Kentucky for more than 90 years, and its system of care includes six acute care hospitals, a complete network of immediate to emergency services and services in dozens of specialties. Whether it is emergency treatment for heart attack victims or preventative programs to improve the health of the communities it serves, Med Center Health is committed to providing the highest level of care and service.
How to follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Basketball, follow the team’s social media channels, @WKUBasketball on Twitter, @WKUBasketball on Instagram, and WKU Basketball on Facebook.
-@WKUSports-
Zach Greenwell
Associate Director
WKU Athletic Communications/Media Relations
