Western Kentucky will get a shot at an in-state foe this weekend.

The Hilltoppers are scheduled to host Eastern Kentucky at 6 p.m. Saturday at E.A. Diddle Arena.

“We just understand that they all count as one win and one loss. They’re all the same,” WKU head coach Rick Stansbury said after Tuesday’s game against Rhodes College. “You don’t get too high and you don’t get too low. Naturally there’s some opponents that come in here and we become their biggest game of the year. Is it the biggest game of the year for us? Yes. Because why? It’s the next one.

“Whether it’s Eastern Kentucky or whoever else it is, it’s the biggest one of the year because it’s your next one. It just happens to be against an in-state team.”

The Hilltoppers (4-3) are coming off wins in three straight games to move over .500, and the latest game wasn’t close. WKU overpowered Division III Rhodes 105-35 for its largest margin of victory against a college team, but the Hilltoppers are hoping it can get some things out of that game.

“That pressure – (Rhodes) picked it up full court and Eastern does that,” WKU guard Luke Frampton said Tuesday. “They play a lot of pressure for 40 minutes, so getting a little taste of that against them will be a good help.”

EKU enters Saturday’s matchup at 5-3 with losses in its last two games – one of which was a game at West Virginia where the Colonels led for the majority before falling 80-77. EKU followed with an 88-75 loss at Radford on Sunday.

“Basically this is what you need to know – they went to West Virginia last week and basically led West Virginia from start right up until the end. West Virginia comes back in the last three or four minutes to win that game,” Stansbury said. “That’s all you need to know about them.”

EKU has had a high-powered offense early, which isn’t ideal for WKU since it’ll be without its best defender in Josh Anderson, who is out due to COVID-19 protocols and isn’t expected to return until the Dec. 11 game in Atlanta against Ole Miss.

The Colonels have averaged 82.8 points per game and aren’t afraid to pull up from deep. EKU is third nationally in 3-point attempts with 272, fourth in 3-pointers made per game with 12.6 and second in total 3-pointers made with 101.

EKU hasn’t been afraid to apply pressure defensively, either, and is tied for 11th nationally with 80 total steals. Marshall transfer Jannson Williams leads the team in scoring with 13.6 points per game, while Michael Moreno adds 13 and a team-high 7.1 rebounds and North Carolina State transfer Braxton Beverly adds 10.3.

“They’re a really good team. That’s the thing. They’re a really good team. Any team that shoots the basketball the way they shoot it, they’re a very dangerous team,” Stansbury said. “We know it won’t be easy for us and we’re without a really good player, really good player in a scramble game – that’s what kind of game it is. That’s a scramble game and they’re going to press you. That’s where Josh is best at. And he’s our best defender. A guy that is in the top of the league and one of the better steal guys in the country right now. We’ve got to find ways for other people to step up.”

WKU leads the all-time series 114-44. The Hilltoppers have won the last two meetings – including a 79-71 victory two seasons ago in Richmond – and have won 15 of the last 16 in the series.

It’s the start of another tough three-game stretch for WKU – it already dropped three straight to Minnesota, South Carolina and then-No. 11 Memphis earlier this year – that will also feature a home game against Buffalo on Wednesday and the Dec. 11 game against Ole Miss in Atlanta.

“We’ve got a heckuva stretch of scheduling coming up here now. Y’all know what those next three games are,” Stansbury said. “These next two games here at home are really, really against really good teams. That third game, hopefully we’ll get Josh back before we go to Atlanta to play Ole Miss.”

EASTERN KENTUCKY (5-3) AT WESTERN KENTUCKY (4-3)

6 p.m. Saturday/E.A. Diddle Arena

Probable starters

EASTERN KENTUCKY

Russhard Cruickshank, g, 6-0, sr. (6.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg); Curt Lewis, g, 6-5, r-fr. (9.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Cooper Robb, g, 6-1, jr. (7.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Jannson Williams, f, 6-9, r-sr. (13.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg); Michael Moreno, f, 6-7, so. (13 ppg, 7.1 rpg).

WESTERN KENTUCKY

Luke Frampton, g, 6-5, r-sr. (10 ppg, 2.9 rpg); Dayvion McKnight, g, 6-1, so. (13.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg); Jamarion Sharp, c, 7-5, jr. (5.1 ppg, 7 rpg); Jairus Hamilton, f, 6-8, sr. (17.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg); Camron Justice, g, 6-3, gr. (11.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg).

Television

ESPN+/WKU PBS

Radio

Hilltopper Sports Network

Coaches

A.W. Hamilton (56-45, fourth year; 299-67 overall), EKU; Rick Stansbury (107-63, sixth year; 400-229 overall), WKU.

Series record

WKU lead the all-time series 114-44 (The Hilltoppers won the last meeting 79-71 on Nov. 15, 2019, at McBrayer Arena).

Last time out

EKU lost 88-75 at Radford on Sunday; WKU won 105-35 at home against Rhodes College on Tuesday.{&end}