KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team returns to University Arena on Thursday night for a 7 pm contest against Saginaw Valley State. 

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (1-1) vs. Saginaw Valley State (1-1)

Date/Time: Thursday, Nov. 18 – 7 pm

Site: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)

Tickets: wmubroncos.com/tickets

Radio: Bronco Radio Network

Video: ESPN3

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

OPENING TIP

• WMU returns to University Arena on Thursday for its final home game of November against Saginaw Valley State.
• The Broncos are 1-0 at home this season after a 76-58 win over Hope on Nov. 10.
• Western Michigan is coming off of a 90-46 loss at Michigan State last Friday in its first road game of the 2021-22 season.
• Mack Smith (13) and Markeese Hastings (12) led WMU in scoring, while Hastings grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
• Nine different Broncos scored and 12 had at least one rebound against MSU.
• Thursday marks the third all-time meeting between the Broncos and Cardinals.
• Western Michigan has won each of the prior two meetings, with the most recent a 65-50 WMU victory on Jan. 2, 1993.
• SVSU is 1-1 on its season and is set to face Olivet on Wednesday night before heading to Kalamazoo to take on the Broncos.
• Senior guard Delano Smith leads the Cardinals in scoring at 22.5 points per game.

 
HOME SWEET HOME
Western Michigan returns to Kalamazoo to take on Saginaw Valle State in what will be its final home game of November. The Broncos won their home opener, 76-58, over Hope College back on Nov. 10. After Thursday, WMU's next four will be away from home, with the team returning to the friendly confines of University Arena on Dec. 5 for a matchup against Valparaiso.
 
LAST TIME OUT
In their first road game of the season, the Broncos fell 90-46 at Michigan State on Nov. 12. Western Michigan held a 15-9 advantage near the midpoint of the opening half, but the Spartans went on a 23-4 extended run and never looked back. Mack Smith had a team-high 13 points for the evening, while Markeese Hastings chipped in a career-high 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
 
BALANCED ATTACK
Nine different Broncos scored in Friday's game at Michigan State while 12 grabbed at least one rebound in the contest.
 
WMU VS SVSU
Thursday's game between Western Michigan and Saginaw Valley State is just the third all-time meeting between the two schools. WMU has won each of the two prior meetings, with the last a 65-50 triumph over the Cardinals on Jan. 2, 1993.
 
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Saginaw Valley State began its season with a split of its two home games last weekend and will face Olivet on Wednesday before heading to Kalamazoo. Davenport University transfer Delano Smith is SVSU's leading scorer at 22.5 points per game.
 
WELCOME TO WESTERN
Seven players made their Western Michigan debut in the team's season opener against Hope College. One of the newcomers has led the Broncos in scoring in each of the first two games, as Lamar Norman Jr. poured in a career-high 23 in the opener against Hope College and Mack Smith knocked down three triples to net a team-leading 13 in the setback at Michigan State.

HELLO HASTINGS
Redshirt sophomore Markeese Hastings has burst onto the scene in his first couple of games as a Bronco after arriving from Butler in the offseason. The Wyoming, Mich., native has been WMU's leading rebounder in each of the first two games, snagging a career-high 10 against Hope and then eight more against MSU. Hastings netted a career-high 12 points against the Spartans, and has filled up the box score defensively as well, picking up four steals and three blocks thus far.
 
DEFENDING THE THREE
After finishing in the top half of the conference last season in opponent three-point percentage, the Broncos have taken that to the next level in the early going this season. In its first two games, WMU has held both of its opponents to four three-pointers and limited them to a combined 8-of-48 from downtown. The 16.7% opponent three-point percentage is the lowest in the MAC.
 
GIVING GUS
Gus Etchison has gotten his collegiate career off to a strong start, as the freshman has handed out three assists in each of his first two collegiate games. His 3.0 assists per game are tied for 11th in the conference.
 
HALFTIME LEADS TURN INTO W'S
Including the season-opening win over Hope College, WMU is 46-15 over the last four seasons when leading at halftime.
 
331 AND COUNTING
WMU has made at least one three-pointer in 331 straight games dating back to 2011.
 
WHITE HONORED BY MAC
Prior to the season, Western Michigan guard B. Artis White was selected to the Preseason All-MAC Second Team. An All-MAC Honorable Mention selection last season, White was WMU's leading scorer at 14.3 points per game. He surpassed 500 career points in the season opener against Hope College.
 
ON THE HORIZON
The Broncos head back to Big Ten country on Monday, Nov. 22, as they visit Iowa for an 8:30 pm tip on Big Ten Network.