Kalamazoo, Michigan – The West Michigan men’s basketball team kicks off Central America Conference play with two road games this week, beginning Tuesday night in preseason conference favorite Kent State.
Game information
match: Western Michigan (4-9, 0-0 MAC) vs Kent State University (10-3, 0-0 MAC)
Date Time: Tuesday, January 3 – 7pm
site: MAC Center (Kent, Ohio)
video: ESPN+
wireless: Bronco Media Network
Live stats: side arm
opening tips
- Western Michigan will begin scheduling its Central America conference visit to Kent on Tuesday night.
- WMU has won the conference opener in three of the last five seasons.
- The Broncos are looking to complete their non-conference slate with a 76-66 loss at #15 Wisconsin on December 30.
- Trey Maddox Jr. Leading West Michigan with 16 points in the contest. Lamar Norman Jr. Added 12 points.
- The Broncos won their fifth straight rebounding battle by rebounding the Badgers 32-28.
- Western Michigan leads the MAC in both rebounding margin (+9.6) and offensive rebounds (12.8) this season.
- Kent State holds a 67-58 advantage in the all-time series between the two teams.
- The Golden Flash won last year’s only conference at the MAC Center.
- With wins last season, Kent State has won six of their last seven meetings.
START YOUR #MACTION
Western Michigan kicks off Mid-American Conference play this week with two road games against Kent State University, beginning with a trip to Kent, Ohio on Tuesday night.
for opener
The Broncos have won the MAC opener in three of their last five seasons, while Western Michigan has lost their first conference road game in each of their last four seasons.
last timeout
Western Michigan wrapped up non-conference play Friday night with a 76-66 decision at #15 Wisconsin. Trey Maddox Jr. leading the Broncos with 16 points, Lamar Norman Jr. Added 12. WMU won his fifth straight rebounding battle, as he beat the Badgers 32-28 on the grass.
crash the board
Western Michigan, who won Friday’s rebounding battle in Wisconsin, have dominated the grass in 10 of 13 games for the fifth straight game this season. The Broncos currently outperform MAC in his margin of rebounds (+9.6) and his rebounds offensively (12.8). WMU also ranks second in the league with 38.8 rebounds per game.
WMU VS Kent
Tuesday’s contest marked the 126th ever matchup between West Michigan and Kent State, with the Golden Flashes maintaining a 67-58 lead in the series. Kent State won 75-64 in the only matchup between his two teams last season at the MAC Center on January 25, 2022. The Broncos are on his 17-42 all-time record in his KSU, and earned their final win on January 23, 2014 against the Golden Flash.
when we last met
In last season’s matchup between the two teams, KSU got off to an early start and took a 20-man lead in the first half. Western Michigan rallied after halftime, closing in on sixth in the final minutes before Kent State slammed the door. At KSU his five players scored in double digits for him, Lamar Norman Jr. The Broncos scored a game-high 22 points. Marquise Hastings Added 14 points and 14 rebounds for WMU.
Duquesne Duel
WMU’s Lamar Norman Jr. It will be the second meeting with former teammate Cynthia Carey since joining from Duquesne at the end of the 2020-21 season. Each leads their respective team in scoring, with Norman (17.8 PPG) ranking his 7th and Carey (16.9 PPG) his 8th in his MAC. At last season’s meeting, Norman scored his 22 points and Carey scored 14 in his KSU victory.
make his mark
Marquise Hastings He has seven double-digit rebounds this season, the second-most in the conference. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native recorded his 18 rebounds against Sienna Heights, his career-high and his biggest total in one game by any MAC player this season. was recorded. Hastings currently ranks among the league’s top five in total rebounds (3rd, 9.2), his rebounds defensively (2nd, 6.3), and his rebounds offensively (4th, 2.9).
Scorin Norman
Lamar Norman Jr. He scored 12 points in Wisconsin Friday, his 39th double-digit scoring in 42 games as a Bronco. The senior led Western Michigan in scoring 33 times during his tenure at Brown & Gold, including eight this season. He currently ranks 7th in the MAC with him scoring 17.8 points per game.
long range rammer
Lamar Norman Jr. He leads the MAC this season with an average of 3.5 3 hits per game, and has the second-most 42 hits in the conference. His 3.5 maids in the senior ranks him 10th in the nation for his 3-pointers, and his 42 total triples rank him 29th.
be defensive
WMU’s defense is a big step up from last season when they allowed 75.1 points per game. The Broncos this year have him penalizing nearly seven points per game (68.2), his fourth best in the conference.
373 and counting
After hitting 12 triples in Wisconsin on Friday, WMU had at least one in their 373-game streak since 2011.
Halftime lead changes to W
The Broncos have a record of 53-20 over the last five seasons and lead at halftime.
on the horizon
West Michigan ends a three-game road stretch Friday night and travels to Toledo for a 6:30 chip against the Rockets.