BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball continues Bonus Play with its second
straight road game at UAB at 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday in Birmingham, Ala. The game will
air on beIN SPORTS.
The Hilltoppers began Bonus Play with a loss Saturday at league-leading Old
Dominion. WKU is tied for third in the conference standings.
UAB opened Bonus Play with an overtime win at Southern Miss on Saturday. The Blazers
lead the all-time series 24-15, including two straight in Birmingham. The teams
played less than two weeks ago, with UAB winning 68-60 at WKU on Feb. 16. Head coach
Rick Stansbury is 5-3 all-time against UAB.
GAME 29
WKU (16-12, 9-6 C-USA) at UAB (17-11, 9-6 C-USA)
February 28, 2019 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Bartow Arena | Birmingham, Ala.
BROADCAST
Listen: Hilltopper IMG Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
QUICK SHOTS
• WKU head coach Rick Stansbury returned Feb. 23 at Old Dominion after missing four
games with a back injury that required surgery on Feb. 15. Assistant Marc Hsu served
as interim coach.
• WKU became the fifth program in NCAA history to reach 1,000 straight games with a
made 3-pointer at Rice on Feb. 7. The Hilltoppers’ streak of 1,004 games dates back
to March 15, 1987.
• WKU is one of the youngest teams in the country, ranking 321st of 353 in
experience, per Ken Pomeroy.
• WKU ranks 10th in the country in total blocks and 12th in blocked shots per game,
and 19th in percentage of opponents’ shots blocked, according to Ken Pomeroy. Its
average of 5.1 blocks per game would tie its highest on record. Charles Bassey ranks
second in C-USA in blocks per game (2.4).
• In the last seven games, redshirt senior guard Lamonte Bearden has 51 combined
assists against just 11 turnovers. He leads C-USA in conference play with a 3.5-to-1
assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Sophomore guard Josh Anderson is 1 of 9 players in the country with at least 112
total rebounds, 47 steals and 20 blocks this season. He’s the only player from
Conference USA to reach those marks.
• WKU freshman center Charles Bassey could become 1 of 3 freshmen in the country
since 1992 – along with Greg Oden and current NBA star Anthony Davis – to average 14
points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game, while also shooting at least 60
percent from the field.
• As of Tuesday, Charles Bassey ranked second in the nation among freshmen in total
rebounds (277), third in total blocks (65) and third in field-goal percentage (63.1
percent).
• As of Tuesday, Charles Bassey ranked in the top 30 nationally in double-doubles
(17th), field-goal percentage (10th), blocks per game (16th), total blocks (13th),
rebounds per game (20th), defensive rebounds per game (29th) and total rebounds
(17th).
• Charles Bassey’s 13 double-doubles this season are the most on record by a
Hilltopper freshman. Bassey leads C-USA in double-doubles and ranks second in the
nation among freshmen in double-doubles.
LAST GAME AGAINST UAB: FEBRUARY 16, 2019
A rough shooting day for WKU led to a 68-60 home loss to UAB at E.A. Diddle Arena.
The Hilltoppers got 23 points and 10 rebounds from Charles Bassey, but they shot
just 37.5 percent and netted just 6 of 27 3-pointers.
MED CENTER HEALTH
The 2018-19 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.
