Photo: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
WKU Hilltoppers at Ole Miss Rebels
Postgame Notes
Dec. 13, 2014
Tad Smith Coliseum; Oxford, Miss.
FINAL SCORE: WKU 81, Ole Miss 74
Team Records, Game Notables and Series Information
· With the win, WKU improves its record to 4-4 while Ole Miss falls to 6-3.
· The series with Ole Miss is now tied 1-1, as last year was the first meeting between the squads.
· The win marks the first SEC road win for the Hilltoppers since Nov. 14, 2006 against Georgia. Since then, WKU had dropped five-consecutive SEC road games.
· The win also snapped a five-game losing streak on the road for WKU.
· Since Jan. 26, 2012, WKU now has 12 comeback wins when trailing by double-digits under head coach Ray Harper. WKU’s 17-point deficit to Ole Miss is the largest comeback for the Hilltoppers, beating out WKU’s 16-point deficit in the NCAA Tournament against Mississippi Valley State in 2012.
· After playing five of the season’s first eight games away from home, WKU returns to E.A. Diddle Arena for a seven-game homestand, its longest since 1935, beginning Wednesday at 7:00 PM (CT) against Chicago State. The game will be televised by the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network, airing nationally on Fox College Sports, in Louisville on WBNA and in the Bowling Green area on WKU PBS. Tickets are available online at WKUSports.com and through the WKU Ticket Office at E.A. Diddle Arena or via phone at (270) 745-5222 or 1-800-5-BIG RED.
Team Notes
· WKU used the starting lineup of Trency Jackson, Aleksej Rostov, George Fant, Chris Harrison-Docks and T.J. Price.
· KEY FIRST HALF RUN: Ole Miss went on an 18-3 scoring run, hitting 7-of-9 field goals in a 4:52 time span. Stefan Moody helped the Rebels open the lead to 32-19 after hitting three-consecutive shots from beyond the arc.
· Senior leadership stepped up early, as Fant, Jackson and T.J. Price were the only Hilltoppers to score in the first half until a Justin Johnson three-point play with 11:19 remaining made it 16-14 for WKU. The senior trio scored WKU’s first 13 points with Fant leading the crew with seven of those points.
· KEY SECOND HALF RUN: WKU used a 14-0 run over 4:26 that included three-point baskets by Harrison-Docks, DJ Clayton and T.J. Price to give the Hilltoppers their first lead of the second half at 58-57.
· WKU outscored Ole Miss 49-29 in the second half.
· WKU finished the game 26-of-32 at the free throw line, including 15-of-15 in the second half. Rostov, Jackson, Harrison-Docks and T. Price all ended the game with unblemished marks at the line.
· WKU has made a three-pointer in 848-straight games dating back to March 15, 1987
Individual Notes
· Senior guard T.J. Price finished with a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds, his first double-double of the season.
o The 26 points led all players in the game while setting a new season high for the senior.
o Price has hit a three-point basket in three-straight games and in six of seven contests this season.
o Price now ranks 15th on the WKU career scoring leaderboard with 1,361 points, passing Charlie Osborne and Craig McCormick.
· Senior forward George Fant ended the contest with 17 points and nine boards.
o Fant has scored 77 points over the last five games after scoring 14 over the first three games of the season.
o Fant now ranks 23rd in Hilltopper history with 1,271 points, passing Roland Shelton.
o Fant led the Hilltoppers at the half with 10 points while tied for the team high in rebounds with three.
· Freshman DJ Clayton finished the game with just one shot attempted and one shot made, but it was one of the biggest shots of the game.
o Clayton’s first three-pointer this season cut the Ole Miss lead to 57-35 and helped ignite WKU’s comeback.
· Freshman Justin Johnson came off the bench to add a spark in the first half to hit 2-of-4 from the field and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe, totaling eight points.
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