West Pennyroyal News

WKU Plays First Game of 2023 Against The Mean Green

WKU Hilltopper Basketball searches for its first league win on Thursday night, taking on North Texas at home in E.A. Diddle Arena at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.
 
The Hilltoppers most recently fell 65-60 at Middle Tennessee on Saturday afternoon. North Texas is coming off a home 72-57 win over FIU.
 
WKU leads the all-time series 23-8 against the Mean Green, but has lost the last three contests. Its last win over North Texas was on Jan. 2, 2019. Head coach Rick Stansbury is 6-3 all-time against the Mean Green.

PROMOTIONS

•    Critter Classic presented by Hill's Pet Nutrition & WNKY benefitting the Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society

•    Monetary and physical donations of non-clumping cat litter, bleach, scotch tape and laundry detergent will be accepted at the entrance gates

•    Pets from the humane society will be available for adoption on the second-floor Stansbury concourse

•    Postgame frisbee giveaway

•    Big Red Rascals Night: Big Red Rascals members receive free admission

•    Game presented by: US Bank

 

WKU VS. NORTH TEXAS SERIES BREAKDOWN

Overall History: WKU leads 23-8

Series Record at Location: WKU leads 10-3

Last Meeting: North Texas 65, WKU 60 | January 15, 2022 | Bowling Green, Ky.

 

WKU Hilltopper Basketball struggled mightily with its outside shooting, falling 65-60 to North Texas at E.A. Diddle Arena.

 

The Hilltoppers went 2-for-12 from the 3-point line and didn't make one until there was 3:10 left in the game, putting their streak of 1,085 games with a made 3 – the fourth-longest active streak in the nation – in jeopardy.

 

On the other side, North Texas was efficient with its methodical pace, netting 10 of 23 3-pointers and outscoring the Tops 21-2 off the bench.

 

WKU led 24-23 with 6:17 left in the first half after a jumper by sophomore guard Dayvion McKnight, but North Texas rattled off six straight points to reclaim a 29-24 advantage.

UNT's Tylor Perry sank a 3 just before the buzzer to push the lead to 37-30.

 

The closest the Hilltoppers got the rest of the way was the final margin, with a 3-pointer not falling until graduate senior guard Camron Justice got one to go at the 3:10 mark.

 

McKnight led all scorers with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals, and junior center Jamarion Sharp added 13 points, seven rebounds and five blocks.

 

Thomas Bell led North Texas with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists.

 

TOP STORYLINES

•    Over the last five games, Dayvion McKnight is averaging 22.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 61.6% (45-73) from inside the arc and 80.8% from the charity stripe. According to Sports Reference, he was the nation's ninth leading scorer in the month of December with his average of 22.8 ppg.

•    Head coach Rick Stansbury missed Thursday and Saturday's game due to a health issue. Associate head coach Phil Cunningham stepped in in the interim as he has before in 2021.

•    As of Wednesday, Jamarion Sharp leads the country in total blocks (57) and blocks per game (4.4). Luke Frampton is fourth in the country in 3-point percentage (51.4%).

•    In WKU's win over Wright State, Dayvion McKnight became the ninth player in college basketball since 2010-11 to log at least his stat line or better: 32 points, three assists, four steals, four rebounds and 76% FG.

•    Dayvion McKnight became the first Hilltopper since 2000 to log seven steals when he did so at Austin Peay on Nov. 30.

•    With 13 blocks against Indianapolis on Nov. 15, the Hilltoppers broke the program's record for blocks in a single game.

•    In WKU's 127-61 rout of Kentucky State on Nov. 12, the team broke numerous 3-point shooting records for both the program and in NCAA DI history.

•    Three Hilltoppers were named to the Conference USA Preseason All-Conference team: Dayvion McKnight, Emmanuel Akot & Jamarion Sharp.

 

MED CENTER HEALTH

The 2022-23 WKU Basketball season is proudly presented by Med Center Health. Med Center Health has served Southcentral Kentucky for more than 90 years, and its system of care includes six acute care hospitals, a comprehensive network of physician practices and clinics, and hundreds of area physicians offering care in dozens of specialties. From emergency treatment to preventative care, Med Center Health is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the communities it serves. Learn more at medcenterhealth.org.

Original source can be found here.