Women's Basketball | February 07, 2020

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan women's basketball returns home from back-to-back road contests to host in-state rival Eastern Michigan on Saturday, February 8 at 2 p.m. inside University Arena.

Saturday, Feb. 8 • 2:00 p.m. • Kalamazoo, Mich. • University Arena (5,421)
Western Michigan Broncos (11-9, 4-5 MAC) vs. Eastern Michigan Eagles (10-11, 5-5 MAC)

Series Record: EMU leads 48-46
University Arena: 26-18
Last Meeting: February 19, 2020 – Kalamazoo, Mich.– WMU 71, EMU 68

BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Radio • WQLR 1600 AM The Fan Flagship (Kalamazoo/Portage) – Aaron Coyle PBP
Watch Live: ESPN3 (Evan Stockton – PBP, Wayne Hinton – Color, Sam Mattlin – Sideline)

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @WMU_WBB | FACEBOOK: @WMUWBB

GET YOUR TICKETS
Make sure to join us for Bronco basketball this season inside University Arena! Single-game women's tickets start at just $6. Tickets can be purchased at the Bronco Ticket Office, online at wmubroncos.com/tickets or by calling 1-888-4-WMU-Tix.
 
#PLAY4KAY PINK GAME
Saturday marks the annual Play4Kay Pink Game, which supports the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The fund's mission is to extend and improve the lives of those who are battling cancer, on its way to finding a cure, by raising money for research and assisting the underserved. WMU is partnering with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund by auctioning off the women's basketball team's pink jerseys to be worn next Saturday at Northern Illinois.

You can support our team by
·       Purchasing a limited edition women's basketball t-shirt at our Pink Game (minimum $5 donation, cash only)
·       Buying a Pink Game Jersey through our Silent Auction (bidding starts at $100)

The jerseys will be auctioned off at www.wmubroncos.com, beginning at tip-off of Saturday's game. The auction will run until Saturday, February 15 at 11:59 p.m.

A portion of the proceeds from the t-shirt sales and jersey auction will go to the Kay Yow Cancer fund.

LAST TIME OUT
The team was on the road again on Monday for a tough contest against Miami University, the RedHawks winning 70-67. The Broncos shot 42.9 percent (24-of-56) from the field and led at the line with 12-of-18 (66.7 percent) shooting. Jordan Walker led the squad with 24 points, adding seven rebounds and three assists and going 3-for-7 from beyond the arc. WMU poured in 13 points off the bench, including a nine-point performance by Maddie Watters as she shot 3-for-6 from three-point range. Breanna Mobley again had a strong showing for Western Michigan, totaling 22 points with 14 rebounds. After surpassing 1,000 rebounds in the last contest, she racked up a quick 14 in back-to-back games to tie for the all-time career rebounding record of 1,028, originally set by Pat Charity ('78). Tomorrow's game marks her 100th career start and a chance to set a new all-time career rebounding record.
 
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
The Broncos finished the nonconference portion of their season with an 8-4 mark, including four wins on the road. Western Michigan heads into Saturday's contest with a 4-5 record in conference play, averaging 70.4 points per game and 39.7 rebounds. The squad is led by Jordan Walker and Breanna Mobley. Walker has led the team in scoring this season with 15.2 points per game, while Mobley averages a double-double with 13.7 points and 11.0 rebounds.
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SERIES HISTORY
The series between state rivals Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan has the Eagles leading with a narrow 48-46 all-time advantage. The Broncos hold the home team advantage with a 26-18 record, and have won five of the last ten meetings with the Eagles, including a 71-68 victory last February at home. Tomorrow marks their first meeting of the 2019-20 season.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Eastern Michigan sits 10-11 on the season with a 5-5 mark in conference play,  having similarly lost their last two games, including a close contest on Wednesday night with Ohio University. They are under the direction of fourth-year head coach Fred Castro. Areanna Combs leads the Eagles with 18.1 points per game, while Autumn Hudson holds the top rebounding spot with 6.8 per contest.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The Broncos are 6-2 on the season when playing at University Arena. Some of their best averages of the year so far have come during home contests. Over eight games hosted, they averaged 81.3 points and 43.5 rebounds, with 43 percent field goal shooting and 29 percent from beyond the arc.

RECORD-BREAKING BRONCO                                                                      
Breanna Mobley is dominating the rebounding category this season, breaking multiple records in her senior season. Mobley surpassed 1,000 rebounds against Ball State to become the second-ever Bronco to have scored 1,000 points and rebounds in her career. She became a member of the 1,000-point club against Miami on Jan. 20, 2018. The record puts her alongside former WMU legend and coach Pat Charity, who hit the milestone in the 1977-78 season. On Feb. 3 against Miami (Ohio), Mobley moved up to 1,028 rebounds to tie the all-time rebounding record, also earned by Charity. Mobley now holds the rebounding record for all of Bronco basketball.