KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan women's basketball officially opens its 2018-19 campaign on Thursday, Nov. 8 versus Purdue Fort Wayne at 7 p.m. inside University Arena. 

Thursday, Nov. 8 • 7:00 p.m. • Kalamazoo, Mich. • University Arena (5,421)
Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (1-0, 0-0 Summit) vs. Western Michigan Broncos (0-0, 0-0 MAC)

Series Record: WMU leads 4-1
Last Meeting: Dec. 6, 2016 (WMU 61-35)

BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Radio • WQLR 1660 AM The Fan Flagship (Kalamazoo/Portage) - Aaron Coyle (PBP)
Watch Live: ESPN+ (Conor Clingen, PBP, Sam Mattlin - Sideline)

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BRONCOS OPEN SEASON WITH EXHIBITION WIN
Western Michigan hosted Grace Chrisitan on Nov. 2 for its first action of the season. Four Broncos scored in double figures, while WMU shot 32-for-69 from the field and 17-for-39 from beyond the arc. WMU scored a game-high 34 points in the first quarter and didn't look back. Eleven Broncos saw the floor, including solid contribution from the newcomers. Freshman Maddie Watters tallied 12 points, shooting 4-for-9 from three-point range to lead the freshman class in their first collegiate appearances. Freshman Jacinta Gibson scored five points and dished out six assists. Senior Meredith Miller led the Brown & Gold with 15 points, followed by 14 from Kamrin Reed, 12 from Watters, and 11 from Logan McCane. 

2017-18 RECAP
Last season the Broncos finished 18-15 overall and 9-9 in the Mid-American Conference, finishing third in the MAC West standings, the best finish since the 2014-15 season. WMU received the No. 6 seed in the MAC Tournament and upset No. 3 seeded Ball State prior to falling to No. 2 Buffalo in the semifinals. As a team, WMU scored the third most points in school history (2,308). Breanna Mobley became just the second player in Bronco history to collect 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds and was named to the All-MAC Honorable Mention team. 

RETURNERS
The Broncos return 11 letterwinners from last year's roster, while Jordan Walker and Breanna Mobley will both redshirt this season for medical reasons. Senior guard Deja Wimby returns as the floor general for the Broncos. A member of the 2017-18 Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List, Wimby led the team last season with 69 assists. Also returning is redshirt senior Jasmyn Walker, who each started the first 20 games last year before suffering a season-ending injury. 

NEWCOMERS
A total of three freshmen will hit the court for the Broncos this season including Jacinta Gibson (Jeffersonville, Ind. / Jeffersonville), Maxine Moore (Southfield, Mich. / Detroit Country Day), and Maddie Watters (Williamston, Mich. / Williamston). Gibson was a three-sport athlete at Jeffersonville and led the Red Devils to their first conference championship since 2011 her junior year while being named First Team All-Conference and a finalist for the News and Tribune Player of the Year. Moore was an All-State player while winning three state championships at Detroit Country Day High School. Watters was an 1,000-point scorer at Williamston and was named All-State and the Lansing State Journal Player of the Year.

2018-19 SCHEDULE
The Broncos officially open up the 2018-19 schedule with three consecutive home games, beginning Thursday, Nov. 8 versus Purdue Fort Wayne. WMU has 11 non-conference games on the schedule, headlined by matchups against Michigan and Ole Miss. Western Michigan will participate in the Stetson University Tournament in DeLand, Fla. Dec. 20-21, set to face North Dakota and Mississippi Valley State. The MAC schedule officially begins at Bowling Green on Saturday, Jan. 5.

BRONCOS IN SEASON OPENERS
Under Coach Shane Clipfell, Western Michigan has gone 5-1 in season openers with wins over American, two wins over UMass, Wisconsin-Parkside, and Davidson. Last season, WMU opened the year with a 88-76 loss at the University of New Mexico on Nov. 10, 2017. Three Broncos scored in double digits led by Deja Wimby's 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Breanna Mobley nearly missed a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds, and Jordan Walker notched 11 points and two assists during her debut in Brown & Gold. The season-opening loss was the first in Coach Clipfell's tenure at Western Michigan and the program's first since a 76-64 loss at the University of Kansas on Nov. 13, 2011.

THE MATCHUP
Thursday's game will mark the sixth all-time matchup between Western Michigan and Purdue Fort Wayne, with the Broncos holding a 4-1 series advantage. The two teams last faced each other during the 2016-17 season, in which the Brown & Gold defeated the Mastodons 61-35 at University Arena on Dec. 6, 2016. While limiting PFW to just 35 points, it was the lowest defensive output for Western Michigan since defeating McMaster University in the Hurricane Classic 90-33 in 1980-81.

PURDUE FORT WAYNE SCOUTING REPORT
The Mastodons finished 4-24 overall and 1-13 in the Summit League, finishing at the bottom of the league standings. Purdue Fort Wayne returns seven letterwinners while losing five from last year's roster, and welcomes in five newcomers. The Mastodons opened their 2018-19 season on Tuesday, Nov. 6, defeating IU Kokomo 87-50. Five players reached double figures, with De'Jour Young leading the way with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Sierra Bell finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, eight steals, and five assists. Senior guard De'Jour Young is the Mastodons' top returner from 2017-18, having averaged 11 points and six rebounds per game.