One day after knocking off No. 18/16 Purdue, WKU Hilltopper Basketball wraps up play in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis against SMU at 6 p.m. CT Friday in the tournament’s fifth-place game in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
The Hilltoppers led Purdue for nearly 39 minutes on their way to the 77-73 upset victory Thursday.
SMU bounced back from a loss Wednesday to Northern Iowa by beating No. 2 Arizona 66-60 on Thursday night.
The Hilltoppers and Mustangs haven’t played since 1968, but WKU leads the series 2-0. WKU head coach Rick Stansbury has never faced SMU.
GAME 6
SMU (5-1) at WKU (3-2)
November 24, 2017 | 6 p.m. CT
Paradise Island, Bahamas | Imperial 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: ESPN3 (Kevin Fitzgerald, pxp | Paul Biancardi, analysis)
Live Stats: Atlantis Stats Central
QUICK SHOTS
• WKU’s victory over Purdue was its first over a ranked opponent since beating No. 25 Old Dominion on Jan. 10, 2015. It was also its first win over a ranked nonconference foe since No. 24 Vanderbilt on 12/11/09.
• Purdue was the highest-ranked team WKU has defeated since toppling No. 3 Louisville on Nov. 30, 2008.
• WKU faced back-to-back ranked teams (Villanova and Purdue) for the first time since playing No. 6 Seton Hall and No. 11 Florida State consecutively in the 1993 NCAA Tournament.
• WKU improved to 2-13 in its last 15 games against ranked opponents. The Hilltoppers are 1-1 against ranked opponents under head coach Rick Stansbury.
• WKU is 5-8 all-time in games played outside the United States. The Hilltoppers are now 1-1 in the Bahamas, 3-6 in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico and 1-1 in Cancun, Mexico.
• WKU has made at least one 3-pointer in 943 consecutive games, dating back to March 15, 1987. The 3-point shot was instituted prior to the 1986-87 season.
• The Hilltoppers have made 92 of 133 free throws through five games, while their opponents have made just 56 of 73. 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 active scholarship players are averaging in double figures, between 10 and 14 points. A different player has led WKU in scoring in all five outings this season.
• As of Thursday, Justin Johnson was tied for eighth among active NCAA players for career rebounds and career double-doubles. He’s one of just eight active NCAA players with at least 1,000 career points and 700 rebounds.
• Justin Johnson is 31st on WKU’s all-time scoring list with 1,180 career points. He needs 26 points to pass Michael Fraliex to move into 30th.
• Justin Johnson currently ranks eighth on WKU’s all-time list for career field goal percentage at 54.4 percent. He’s less than two percentage points from fifth place.
• Justin Johnson needs 251 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.
LAST GAME AGAINST SMU: DECEMBER 7, 1968
WKU overcame a four-point halftime deficit and surged to a 92-79 victory over SMU in front of 12,500 fans at E.A. Diddle Arena. Jim Rose paced the Hilltoppers with 28 points, while Jim McDaniels contributed 23 points and 19 rebounds. WKU outrebounded SMU 69-43.
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-
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Zach Greenwell
Associate Director
WKU Athletic Communications/Media Relations
