Big WKU sports day includes Topper basketball exhibition

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Hilltopper Basketball completes its preseason slate at 8 p.m. CT Saturday with a home exhibition against Kentucky Wesleyan at E.A. Diddle Arena.

The Hilltoppers are coming off an 87-79 exhibition win over Campbellsville on Tuesday in their first contest under new head coach Rick Stansbury. Five players reached double figures scoring for WKU, which shot 48.3 percent from the field and netted 26 of 32 free throws.

WKU made its final 11 shots of the first half and shot 58.1 percent before the break. Justin Johnson paced the Hilltoppers with 22 points and 12 rebounds.

Kentucky Wesleyan is coming off a 109-71 exhibition loss at Louisville on Thursday night. Ken-Jah Bosley led four KWC players in double figures against the Cardinals with 14 points.

WKU defeated KWC 75-68 last season in an exhibition at Diddle Arena. After facing the Panthers, the Hilltoppers open the regular season at home against Alabama State at 7 p.m. Nov. 12.

EXHIBITION 2

WKU (0-0) vs. Kentucky Wesleyan (0-0)
November 5, 2016 | 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Bowling Green, Ky. | E.A. Diddle Arena (7,326)

BROADCAST

Listen: Hilltopper IMG Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), TuneIn Radio (free) (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: WKUSports.tv ($)
Live Stats: Gametracker

QUICK SHOTS

• WKU is 54-4 all-time in preseason exhibition games, and the Hilltoppers have won 22 straight preseason tune-ups dating back to a 2002-03 loss to the Harlem Globetrotters.
• The Hilltoppers started guards Junior Lomomba, Pancake Thomas and Que Johnson alongside forwards Willie Carmichael and Ben Lawson in the opening exhibition win over Campbellsville.
• WKU drew 3,887 fans for the Campbellsville win – over 1,000 more than last year’s exhibition opener.
• WKU’s 2016-17 roster, which has nine newcomers, represents seven states – Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan and Wisconsin – as well as four other countries – Australia, Canada, England and Serbia.
• With nine newcomers on the roster, WKU returns 31 percent of its scoring, 39 percent of its rebounding and 14 percent of its assists from the 2015-16 campaign.
• Junior Justin Johnson needs 344 points this season to become the 49th player in Hilltopper Basketball history to score 1,000 career points.
• Graduate senior Que Johnson needs 165 points to reach 1,000 for his career across his time at Washington State and WKU. Graduate senior Pancake Thomas needs 263 points to reach 1,000 for his career across his time at New Mexico, Hartford and WKU.
• Senior Ben Lawson ranks fifth in WKU history with 128 career blocked shots. His 66 blocks in 2015-16 were the seventh-most in a season in Hilltopper history. Lawson joins Jeremy Evans, Elgrace Wilborn and Chris Marcus as Hilltoppers with at least 50 blocks in multiple seasons.
• WKU was picked to finish third in the Conference USA Preseason Coaches Poll, while Justin Johnson was voted to the 10-member Preseason All-C-USA Team.
• Head coach Rick Stansbury needs seven more wins to reach 300 victories for his career.
• WKU, Middle Tennessee and LA Tech are the only schools in Conference USA to win 20 or more games in at least three of the last four seasons. WKU’s 43 20-win seasons are the seventh-most in NCAA history.
• WKU is 49-15 (.766) at E.A. Diddle Arena over the last four seasons after going 27-17 (.614) in the three seasons prior. The Hilltoppers are 573-162 all-time at Diddle Arena for a .780 winning percentage.
• WKU has made at least one 3-pointer in 906 consecutive games, dating back to March 15, 1987. The 3-point shot was instituted prior to the 1986-87 season.

PROMOTIONS

Military Appreciation Day: All military personnel and veterans show your military ID and receive complimentary admission. All friends and family can receive reduced price reserved tickets for just $5.
Football Ticket Deal: Show your ticket stub from the WKU vs. FIU Football game and receive $5 reserved bleacher seats.
Fuqua Events Kids Zone: Inflatable fun zone for kids – opens one hour prior to tipoff on the third level concourse of Diddle Arena for FREE!

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.

MED CENTER HEALTH

The 2016-17 WKU Basketball season is presented by Med Center Health. With The Medical Center at its core, Med Center Health has served Southcentral Kentucky for 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.