Women's Basketball | January 07, 2020

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan women's basketball team heads out on the road to take on Akron on Wednesday, Jan. 8 inside James A. Rhodes Arena.

Wednesday, Jan. 8 • 7:00 p.m. • Akron, Ohio • James A. Rhodes Arena (5,500)
Western Michigan Broncos (8-4, 1-0 MAC) at Akron Zips (7-5, 0-1 MAC)

Series Record: WMU leads 31-9
Last Meeting: Feb. 9, 2019 – Akron, Ohio – WMU 62, Akron 69

BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Radio • WQLR 1600 AM The Fan Flagship (Kalamazoo/Portage) – Aaron Coyle PBP
Watch Live: ESPN+

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LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos were victorious in their conference opener for the fourth consecutive season, improving their overall record to 8-4 and winning four of their last five contests. The 84-72 win snapped an 11-game losing streak against Toledo, their last victory over the Rockets back in 2014 on the road.
 
Four of five Bronco starters had double-digit performances on the day. Leighah-Amori Wool led WMU with an impressive career-high 23 points, shooting 8-for-12 from the field, a team high 3-for-5 from three-point range, and 4-for-4 at the free throw line. Breanna Mobley earned her ninth double-double of the season within the first half of the contest, going on to score a total of 15 points and 11 rebounds. Jordan Walker followed Wool with 20 points, her fifth game of the season scoring 20 points or more, and Chelayne Bailey brought in 11 points, eight of which were earned from the charity stripe. 
 
As a team, Western Michigan shot 48.4 percent (30-of-62) from the field, converting eight shots beyond the arc. Despite the Rockets out-rebounding WMU 37-32, the Broncos had a strong defensive showing, converting 19 points off UT turnovers and 16 fast break points with 40 points scored in the paint.
 
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
WMU heads into its second conference game with its best overall start since the 2016-17 season. The Broncos finished the nonconference portion of their season with an 8-4 mark, including four wins on the road. They are currently led in scoring by redshirt sophomore Jordan Walker, who is averaging 16.5 points per game, a mark that also earns her a spot at fifth in the MAC. Redshirt senior Breanna Mobley is averaging a double-double on the season with 13.5 points per game and 10.5 rebounds. She has held the top rebounding average spot in the conference since early November. Western Michigan is seeking its first MAC road win since January 26, 2019 when they defeated Ball State 65-62.
 
THE MATCHUP
The series between Akron and Western Michigan has the Broncos leading with a 31-9 all-time advantage, including wins in six of their last ten meetings. Despite the game taking place on Akron's home turf, the Brown & Gold still prevail with a 12-7 record. Their last two meetings, however, saw the victories going to the Zips. On February 9, 2019, the Broncos lost in Akron 62-69, in a back-and-forth game that saw the Zips sealing the win in the final minutes with a 6-0 scoring run.

LAST YEAR IN THE MAC
Last season, the Broncos finished 4-14 overall during Mid-American Conference play, finishing fifth in the MAC West standings. They ended their season in the first round of the MAC Tournament, losing a hard-fought battle to Northern Illinois, 70-69. WMU opened the conference season with an 84-82 win over Bowling Green before snapping a seven-game losing streak with their 71-68 win against Eastern Michigan in February. The Broncos averaged 61.8 points per game, 32.4 rebounds per game and 12.0 assists per game. 

SCOUTING THE ZIPS
Akron heads into its second season under head coach Melissa Jackson, following up a debut season that saw the Zips 16-15 overall and 7-11 in the MAC. They head into the contest with a 7-5 overall mark and having dropped their first conference contest to Central Michigan by a narrow 77-72 margin. Akron is paced by Haliegh Reinoehl and Jordyn Dawson 13.6 and 13.3 points per game. The pair also leads the rebounding squad with 7.3 and 6.8 per game, respectively.
 
COUNTDOWN TO 1000
Senior Breanna Mobley has the chance to hit a unique Bronco milestone this season. She currently holds second place in the individual career records for rebounds with 923 and counting, and became a member of the 1,000-point club against Miami on Jan. 20, 2018. If she tallies at least 1,000 rebounds this season she will become the second ever Bronco to reach both 1,000 points and rebounds, alongside former WMU player and coach Pat Charity, who hit the milestone in the 1977-78 season.

SCORING MACHINE
Jordan Walker continues to dominate the Bronco scoresheet, averaging 16.2 points per contest. She currently holds the fifth-highest scoring average in the conference and is in the top 150 of points per game in the NCAA.                                                          

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE
 Redshirt senior Breanna Mobley is averaging a double-double this season with 13.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. She ranks 16^th in the MAC in scoring and has held the leading rebounder spot since November 26.