WKU Hilltoppers at Florida Atlantic
Postgame Notes
Jan. 15, 2015
FAU Arena; Boca Raton, Fla.
FINAL SCORE: WKU 88, Florida Atlantic 85 (OT)
Team Records, Game Notables and Series Information
– WKU improves to 11-5 on the season and 4-0 in Conference USA play. Florida Atlantic falls to 7-8 and 0-4.
– WKU has won six-straight games and 10 of its last 12 after starting the season 1-3. WKU has had a six-game winning streak in each of the last three seasons.
– WKU starts 4-0 in conference play for the second time in three seasons (2012-13), but the last time it happened before that was in 2005-06.
– The Hilltoppers improve to 11-5 all-time against Florida Atlantic and win in Boca Raton for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
– WKU wraps up its time in the Sunshine State Saturday evening at 5:00 (CT) at FIU. Following the game against the Panthers, WKU returns home to face UTEP at 8:00 PM (CT) on Thursday and UTSA at 2:00 PM (CT) next Saturday. Tickets for both games are available via the WKU Ticket Office online at WKUSports.com, in-person at E.A. Diddle Arena and over the phone at 1-800-5-BIG RED or 745-5222 locally.
Team Notes
– WKU used the starting lineup of Chris Harrison-Docks, Trency Jackson, T.J. Price, George Fant and Aleksej Rostov for the ninth-straight game and 11th time this season. The group is 9-2 on the year.
– WKU won for the 13th time in head coach Ray Harper’s 102 games coached when trailing by at least 10 points at one point. Against Florida Atlantic, WKU came back from a 13-point deficit with 11:54 to play in regulation. WKU has erased a double-digit deficit in its last two road games, including a 17-point hole at Ole Miss on Dec. 13.
– WKU committed just seven turnovers in the game and three in the second half and overtime. WKU has had just 18 turnovers in the last three games (6.0 per game) and a total of four in the three second halves and an overtime period.
– KEY FIRST HALF RUN: Trailing 28-21 with 4:00 to go, WKU scored eight-straight points to take its first lead of the game at 29-28 with 1:38 left in the half. T.J. Price and Trency Jackson had three-pointers during the run, and Aleksej Rostov hit a jumper to account for the other basket. Florida Atlantic missed two shots during the stretch.
– KEY SECOND HALF RUN: Florida Atlantic held a 65-57 lead with 3:46 to play before WKU scored nine-in-a-row to take a 66-65 lead with 2:00 to play, capped by a T.J. Price three-pointer. Price had five points during the sprint, and Chris Harrison-Docks and George Fant each hit a bucket.
– WKU shot 53.8 percent in the second half and overtime (21-for-39) after going 11-for-28 in the first half (.393).
– Seniors George Fant and T.J. Price combined for 50 of WKU’s 88 points in the game, 40 of which came in the second half and overtime.
– WKU has made a three-pointer in 856-straight games dating back to March 15, 1987.
Individual Notes
– Senior guard T.J. Price finished with 27 points and eight rebounds in 41 minutes.
– With his first three-pointer of the game, Price became the 15th player in WKU history with 1,500 career points.
– Price has had 20-plus points in seven of his last eight games against NCAA Division I opponents.
– With 27 points, Price moved past Art Spoelstra (1952-54) into 14th place on WKU’s career scoring list with 1,526 points.
– Price has scored 20-plus points in 27 games in his career
– Senior forward George Fant recorded his fifth-straight double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
– Fant has had 20-plus points nine times as a Hilltopper.
– Fant has led WKU in rebounding 11 times this season and 55 times in his career.
– Redshirt-sophomore guard Chris Harrison-Docks finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.
– The eight rebounds were a career high.
– Harrison-Docks has dished out 23 assists and had just seven turnovers in the last five games.
Comments
