MAC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
Western Michigan Broncos (19-12, 8-10 MAC)
vs. Northern Illinois Huskies (20-10, 12-8 MAC)
Friday, March 10, 2017, 11 a.m.
Cleveland, Ohio (Quicken Loans Arena)

TV - ESPN3
Radio - 1660 AM The Fan with Robin Hook
Live Stats - http://sidearmstats.com/mac/wbball/
Twitter - @WMU_WBB

HOW WE GOT HERE
Western Michigan is getting hot at the right point in the season, entering Friday's game with Northern Illinois on a three-game winning streak, including wins over the Huskies and top-seeded Central Michigan. This is the first time WMU has advanced to the MAC Tournament semifinals since 2003, the last time the Broncos won the championship. Last time out, the Broncos upset Central Michigan 67-63 in the quarterfinals, as junior Najee Smith hit a clutch 3-pointer with 11.4 seconds left, giving WMU its first lead of the game. 

POSTSEASON ALL-MAC AWARDS
Three Broncos earned postseason All-MAC awards, as senior Meredith Shipman and sophomore Breanna Mobley were each named Third Team All-MAC and sophomore Deja Wimby was named to the All-MAC Defensive Team. 

IN THE RECORD BOOKS
The three players that earned All-MAC recognition have also made their way into the record books at WMU and are still climbing. Shipman's season total for 3-pointers made is 76, where she tied Sarah Hurrle (2000-01) for third place in WMU history for a single season, with at least one more game to go. Casey Rost holds the all-time record with 79 made in 2003-04. Mobley is currently tied for first place with 296 rebounds in a single season; needing one more to pass Pat Charity (1977-78) for sole possession of the record. Mobley also holds the third best field-goal percentage (.572) in a single season. Wimby is currently sixth in steals (85) and ninth in single season assists (161) while tying for 10th in free-throws made in a single season (114). 

SHIPMAN'S SHOOTING STREAK
Senior Meredith Shipman has been hot as of late, hitting multiple 3-pointers in 15 of the last 16 games and 23 games this season, snapping the streak last time out against Central Michigan.  She is now fourth in career 3-pointers made at WMU (176) and is chasing Shelsea Erving (2011-14) for third place with 190. She finished fifth in MAC play with 49 made 3-pointers this season. She is coming off a season-high 30 point game against Miami in the MAC Tournament opener, the first 30-point game by any WMU individual this season. 

BRONCO CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
The last time the Broncos played in the MAC Tournament Championship was 2003, where the program claimed its second MAC Tournament Championship in school history (1985 was first). The Broncos won as a No. 4 seed in 2003, defeating Ball State 81-76 in the Championship. In 1985, WMU was the a No. 2 seed and topped No. 1 Central Michigan for the Championship. Casey Rost was named the MAC Tournament MVP in 2003 while Tracy Wells won the honor in 1985. 

THE MATCHUP
The Broncos lead the all-time series 36-23 with the Huskies as the two teams split the season series, with both winning on their own courts. WMU has won eight of the last 11 games with NIU, including a 94-52 win over the Huskies last season in the MAC Tournament opener, the largest MAC Tournament win in WMU history. The two have only met in the postseason twice, as the series is tied 1-1. The last time these two met, Deja Wimby finished one rebound shy of WMU's first ever triple-double, going for 15 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. 

A LOOK AT THE HUSKIES
NIU, who is coached by second year head coach Lisa Carlsen, comes into this matchup at 20-10 overall and finished 12-6 in the MAC, good enough for the No. 4 seed. The Huskies are fresh off a one-point win over No. 5 Ohio on Wednesday where four players scored in double-figures. Senior Ally Lehman finished second in the MAC Player of the Year voting and was named First Team All-MAC. Carlsen finished third in the MAC Coach of the Year voting while Janae Poisson was named to the All-MAC Freshman team.