Western Kentucky’s nonconference schedule is full of stiff tests against Division I opponents.

The Hilltoppers lost their season opener Friday night against a Missouri State team favored to win its conference. Next week comes the Battle 4 Atlantis, where WKU will open against No. 5 Villanova. Other matchups on the docket include a game at Wisconsin and home contests against Indiana State – which just blew out Indiana – and Ohio Valley Conference power Belmont.

Coach Rick Stansbury says that challenging slate means his team can afford to play one non-Division I opponent during its nonconference schedule.

WKU (0-1) will do just that Wednesday night, taking on Division II foe Kentucky Wesleyan (1-3) at 7 p.m. at E.A. Diddle Arena. The game will be broadcast locally on WKU PBS.

“If you ask me, I’d prefer not to have to play a non-Division I during the regular season if we can keep from it,” Stansbury said Tuesday during a news conference. “But as long as we’ve got a schedule like this, it doesn’t hurt at all.”

The Toppers didn’t face any non-D-I opponents during the 2016-17 regular season, but had to spend most of the nonconference schedule on the road. WKU at one point played seven straight games away from Diddle Arena.

Stansbury wanted to play more home games this season than last. WKU’s 2017-18 nonconference schedule features seven home games, three true road contests and three neutral-site matchups, all of which will come next week in the Bahamas.

The KWC matchup was one of the last that the Hilltoppers scheduled.

“At that point with that schedule, we just needed another game, and we weren’t going on the road no more,” Stansbury said. “We had enough road games mixed in there.

“We couldn’t find someone else to come in this year and start a series, so we ended up playing Kentucky Wesleyan again, which is a really good team. It’ll be good for our fans.”

The Tops faced Kentucky Wesleyan last year in an exhibition game and nearly took a loss. Pancake Thomas hit a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of the first overtime period, extending the game, and WKU prevailed 103-97 in double OT.

This year’s Panthers have gotten off to a slow start. KWC started off the year with a win against Montevallo (Ala.) and then lost three straight games, including a 90-65 rout Sunday at Wayne State (Mich.)

Bird Cardwell leads the Owensboro school in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game for coach Happy Osborne.

“You remember last year, we were fortunate to get out of this thing,” Stansbury said. “Everybody remembers Pancake having to bail us out, having to put up a shot to get us in overtime.

“We expect the same thing again. It’s the Super Bowl for Kentucky Wesleyan, so we’ll have to play well.”

WKU is coming off an 85-80 loss Friday in its season opener against Missouri State. The Hilltoppers fell in a 26-4 hole and climbed back to cut the margin to three points early in the second half, but could never get over the hump.

Guard Lamonte Bearden, who’d missed most of fall practice due to a sprained ankle, came off the bench and scored a game-high 24 points. Forward Dwight Coleby was limited to 18 minutes because of foul trouble, something Stansbury said a thin WKU team can’t afford.

“I think it’s very obvious as ’Monte got settled in, he got better for us in the second half,” Stansbury said. “We got a better rhythm. I think it was all out-of-sync in the first half based on ’Monte coming in new, based on Dwight’s foul trouble and kind of getting hit in the mouth.

“Those three things caused us to scramble a little bit and it wasn’t a good recipe in the first half. But again, I take a lot of positives from it. I see a lot of good things. We’ll come out tomorrow night and try to build off what we’ve done.”

Notes

WKU is 11-4 at Diddle Arena under Stansbury. … The Hilltoppers have made at least one 3-pointer in 939 consecutive games, dating back to March 15, 1987. … The redshirt junior Bearden’s 24 points Friday were the most by a WKU newcomer in his debut since Derrick Gordon’s 25 points to open the 2011-12 season. … Forward Justin Johnson (1,131 points) ranks No. 35 on the Toppers’ scoring list and needs just three points to pass Jim Rose and move into 34th.

Kentucky Wesleyan (1-3) at Western Kentucky (1-0)

7 p.m., Friday, E.A. Diddle Arena

Probable starters

Kentucky Wesleyan

Amir Warnock, f, 6-9, sr. (9.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Rasheide Bell, g, 6-3, jr. (10 ppg, 5 rpg); Bird Cardwell, g, 6-3, jr. (13.3 ppg, 5 rpg); Brandon Hatton, g, 6-2, jr. (9.3 ppg, 1.8 apg); Chandler Redix, g, 6-2, jr. (5 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

Western Kentucky

Lamonte Bearden, g, 6-3, r-jr. (24 ppg, 5 rpg); Dwight Coleby, f, 6-9, g-sr. (8 ppg, 2 bpg); Justin Johnson, f, 6-7, sr. (11 ppg, 15 rpg); Taveion Hollingsworth, g, 6-2, fr. (5 ppg, 4 apg); Darius Thompson, g, 6-4, g-sr. (19 ppg, 3 rpg)

Television

HSSN – WKU PBS

Radio

WKLX 100.7-FM

Coaches

Happy Osborne (100-27 fourth year; 554-112 overall), Kentucky Wesleyan; Rick Stansbury (15-18 second year; 308-184 overall), WKU

Series record

Western Kentucky leads the all-time series 25-9. (WKU won the last regular-season meeting 88-67 on Nov. 13, 2007 in Bowling Green)

Last time out

Kentucky Wesleyan lost 90-65 on Sunday at Wayne State (Mich.); WKU lost 85-80 at home to Missouri State on Friday{&end}