UK will face Western Kentucky in Thursday’s NCAA Tournament opener after the Hilltoppers made a furious second-half comeback to beat Mississippi Valley State in the tournament’s first game.

Western Kentucky, playing in front of President Barack Obama, went on a 22-5 run over the closing five minutes to advance.

The Hilltoppers (16-18) are the lone sub-.500 team in the tournament. They lost 14 of their first 19 games, fired their head coach, and then ripped off a Sun Belt tournament championship to earn an automatic bid.

Western Kentucky is led by guard Derrick Gordon, who leads the team in points (11.8 per game) and rebounds (6.7 per game). Gordon was a high school teammate of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at St. Patrick in New Jersey. They were prominently featured in an HBO documentary, “prayer for a Perfect Season,” that followed their team during their senior seasons.

Full coverage of the matchup will come Wednesday after both teams have open practices and interview sessions.

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