THE MATCHUP
Western Michigan Broncos (8-15, 4-7 MAC)
vs. Northern Illinois Huskies (14-10, 6-5 MAC)
Feb. 11, 2017 • 7 p.m. • Kalamazoo, Mich. • University Arena (5,421)

Series Record: WMU leads, 56-32
Last Meeting:   3/7/16; in DeKalb; NIU, 56-50 (MAC Tournament first round)

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Radio • Bronco Radio Network - Robin Hook PBP (Pre-game show begins at 6:30 p.m. ET)
Stations • WZOX — 96.5 FM: (Flagship) Kalamazoo, Portage, Mattawan; WMAX — 96.1 FM: Holland, Muskegon; WMAX — 96.1 FM: WTKG 1230 AM: Grand Rapids
TV/Stream: ESPN3
Talent: Mike Monaco (PBP), Brian Snider (Analyst)
Twitter Updates: @WMUMBB

ROAD WARRIORS
WMU has had one of the tougher schedules to open the MAC slate, playing five of its first eight on the road. The Broncos played seven of its first 11 conference games on the road.

> Saturday marks the beginning of three-straight home games for the Broncos who close out the regular season with five of their last seven at home. WMU hosts Northern Illinois this Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. WMU then has Bowling Green at home on Feb. 14 and Eastern Michigan on Feb. 18. and closes out with five of seven games at home during February.

SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN
Western Michigan maintains a 8-15 record, with all 7 of the 8 wins coming at home - vs. Marygrove (90-74), Central Arkansas (80-63), James Madison (74-67), Alabama A&M (80-50), Toledo (90-74), Kent State (92-88) and Ohio (90-85). The Broncos defeated Miami, 72-55, in Oxford Feb. 7 for their first road victory.

> Junior point guard Thomas Wilder is averaging a team-best 18.3 ppg (20.0 MAC) and 4.3 rpg while senior Tucker Haymond is averaging 14.2 ppg and 4.5 rpg. The two have 149 assists combined. Freshman guard Reggie Jones (9.4 ppg), freshman post Brandon Johnson (7.8) and junior center Drake LaMont (7.7) and are all averaging seven points or better per game. Seth Dugan is the leading rebounder at 5.5 rpg followed by Johnson with 5.3 ppg.

> The Broncos are averaging 75.5 ppg this season and allowing 78.6 ppg defensively. WMU is shooting 45.0 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from three and 69.6 percent from the free-throw line.

LAST TIME OUT - JONES LEADS WMU TO WIN AT MIAMI
Freshman Reggie Jones pumped in a career-high 26 points and grabbed six rebounds, leading the Western Michigan men's basketball team to a 72-55 road victory at Miami Tuesday night.

The Broncos have now won five in-a-row against Miami in Oxford, dating back to 2011, and 6 of last 7 all-time meetings against the RedHawks.

The Broncos held a slight 28-24 halftime advantage behind 13 points from Jones. All 10 dressed scholarship players saw action for WMU in the first half (sophomore Josh Davis did not dress due to illness).

Both offensives were slow to get going in the opening half, neither shooting better than 38 percent and going a combined 1-for-12 from behind the arc.

WMU continued its grind and began to pull away midway through the second half. Tucker Haymond buried a wide-open 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Broncos their first double-digit lead, 51-40, with 9:04 left. Thomas Wilder then hit a dagger with five minutes remaining, banking in a three to push WMU's lead to 62-44.

Seth Dugan also came up big, tallying 13 points and seven rebounds, scoring eight of those points on offensive putbacks. Wilder checked out with 18 points, doing so in a quiet manner as 11 came at the free throw line.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Northern Illinois is led by sixth-year head coach Mark Montgomery and is 14-10 overall and 6-5 in the MAC. The Huskies are 5-5 this season on the road and are coming off a 20-point loss to the Bulls in Buffalo on Tuesday, Feb. 7.     

> Senior center Marin Maric is Northern Illinois' top producer and rebounder with 13.3 ppg and 7.5 rpg. Senior guard Aaric Armstead is the next highest scorer at 9.8 ppg. The Huskies average 72.0 ppg and allow 68.2 ppg. They are shooting at 43.6% from the floor.

SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
his will be the 89th meeting between the Broncos and the Huskies, with WMU owning a 56-32 all-time advantage.  

> The Broncos have won 11 of the past 14 games including 10 straight from 2010-15. The Huskies took two of the three last meetings last season, including a 56-50 victory in the MAC Tournament opening round in DeKalb, Ill. The two teams split the regular season meetings, each winning on their home floor.

> WMU head coach Steve Hawkins is 19-8 all-time against the Huskies. Hawkins is 12-1 against NIU when playing at home. The Broncos' last loss to NIU at University Arena was on March 4, 2006 (74-59).

> Northern Illinois head coach Mark Montgomery is 3-9 against Western Michigan - all three wins in DeKalb, two of which were last season.

LAST TIME AT HOME - WMU BATTLES BACK AGAINST OHIO
Thomas Wilder scored 22 of his 29 points in the second half, including a go-ahead free throw, Tucker Haymond added 20, and Western Michigan overcame a 21-point deficit with a late run to beat Ohio 90-85 last Tuesday, Feb. 4 to end a four-game skid.

The Bobcats led by as many as 21 in the first half and increased a 44-38 halftime lead to 81-71 on a layup by Gavin Block. The Broncos replied with a 10-0 run in which Bryce Moore and Wilder hit back-to-back 3s and Western Michigan tied it at 81, 83 and 85 before Wilder's three free throws put the Broncos up 88-85 with 16 seconds left.

DUGAN STEPPING UP IN MAC PLAY
Sophomore center Seth Dugan has seen his number go up during MAC play. During non-conference games Dugan averaged 4.9 ppg and 4.8 rpg. In the 11 MAC contests, Dugan is averaging 7.6 ppg and 6.0 rpg. Over the last three conference games, he is averaging 8.0 ppg.

WILDER AMONG MAC LEADERS
WMU junior point guard Thomas Wilder has scored in double figures in 22 of 23 games this season and has eight 20-plus point outings.

> Wilder's 18.3 ppg in all games and 20.0 ppg in MAC games both rank fouth in the conference. He is third the MAC in 3-point percentage (45.2%), 10th in steals (1.4 spg), ninth in assists (3.6 apg) and 11th in FT percentage (78.9).

SMOOTH AROUND THE BASKET
Junior center Drake LaMont ranks sixth (53.3) in the MAC in field goal percentage while freshman post Brandon Johnson ranks 12th (50.3).