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WKU Hilltoppers Prepare to Host the Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State

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Basketball

WKU Hilltopper Basketball will play its first home game of the season at E.A. Diddle Arena against Mississippi Valley State at 2 p.m. CT Sunday. The Hilltoppers have played four games away from home to open the year, including three neutral-site games and a 75-54 loss at Louisville on Tuesday.

Mississippi Valley State has opened the year with losses at Arkansas, North Texas, Wyoming and Grand Canyon.
 
WKU is 4-0 all-time against the Delta Devils, most recently beating them in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Rick Stansbury is 3-0 in his career against Mississippi Valley State.
 
GAME 5
Mississippi Valley State (0-4) at WKU (2-2)
December 6, 2020 | 2 p.m. CT
E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.
 
TOP STORYLINES
• WKU's game against Mississippi Valley State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament was one to remember. Playing in front of President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron, the Hilltoppers rallied from a 16-point deficit with 4:51 left to win 59-58. It was the largest comeback with less than five minutes left in the NCAA Tournament at the time.

• Dec. 6 will be the latest on the calendar that WKU has played its first home game since hosting Belmont on Dec. 10 in the 1994 home opener. The Hilltoppers have won 14 of their last 16 home openers and are 82-19 all-time in the season's first home game.

• As of Friday night, WKU's strength of schedule was ranked 13th by Ken Pomeroy, and 20th by Sagarin Ratings. The Hilltoppers' first four opponents as ranked by KenPom: Northern Iowa (85), Memphis (47), West Virginia (8) and Louisville (21).

• As of Friday, Charles Bassey leads the nation with 16 total blocks and ranks third with 4.0 blocks per game. He's also fourth in total rebounds (45). Only 30 programs in the nation have more blocks as a team than Bassey by himself.
 
• Charles Bassey's seven blocks against Memphis on Nov. 26 were the most by a Hilltopper since Teeng Akol blocked seven shots against VCU on Nov. 20, 2011. Bassey became the 19th Division I player since 2010 to have a game with at least 21 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks.
 
LAST GAME AGAINST MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE: MARCH 13, 2012
 
WKU rallied from a 16-point deficit with less than five minutes remaining, completing the largest comeback in NCAA Tournament with less than five minutes to go in a 59-58 win in the first round in Dayton, Ohio.
 
Playing in front of President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron, WKU got 11 points each and 19 total rebounds from Derrick Gordon and T.J. Price. George Fant added nine points and 11 rebounds.
 
Kevin Burwell led Mississippi Valley State with 20 points.