KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan women's basketball heads west this week for a pair of games in sunny California. The Broncos stop first in Los Angeles for a clash with the Trojans of USC on Thursday, Nov. 18 before heading up the pacific coast for a matchup with the Saint Mary's College Gaels on Saturday, Nov. 20. Both games have a tip-off time of 10 p.m. ET.

SCOUTING THE TROJANS (2-0, 0-0 PAC 12)
USC has earned two wins on their season thus far, snagging one at home over Hawai'i and traveling cross-country to collect another over Virginia. In the most recent win over the Cavaliers, USC went on an 11-0 run over the course of the game's opening three and a half minutes. Virginia came charging back at the end of the first quarter into the beginning of the second, and managed to regain the lead from the Trojans in the initial minute of the second quarter.

This lead was short-lived, however, and evaporated after less than one minute of play. The Trojans never looked back, and lead for the remainder of the game. Freshman guard/forward Rayah Marshall was the game's leading scorer, putting up 16 points and nine rebounds for USC.

Fifth-year guard Tera Reed added 13 points, six rebounds, and four steals to the Trojans cause, while fifth-year forward Jordan Sanders contributed 13 points, five rebounds, and six steals. Freshman center Calrice Akunwafo posted a double-double for USC as well with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

As a team, USC won the rebounding battle by a 52-45 margin and held Virginia to 28.6% shooting from the field, including a fourth quarter making just two of their 15 attempts. The Trojans also lead Virginia in bench points, points in the paint, points off turnovers, and fast break points to seal the 65-48 victory.

SCOUTING THE GAELS (2-1, 0-0 WCC)
Saint Mary's College sits at 2-1 on the season at this point, first picking up a win on the road at Nevada before heading to UC Davis for win #2. Most recently, the Gaels suffered a road loss at Utah by a final score of 92-50.

Freshman Aspen Garrison lead Saint Mary's in scoring with 10 points, also adding six rebounds for her team. Garrison was the lone Gael to score in double figures at Utah on the rough shooting night for Saint Mary's.

On the season, the Gaels have a pair of players currently averaging double-figures. Redshirt-sophomore forward Ali Bamberger gives her team 12 PPG on 48.1% shooting, and adding 7.7 RPG. She was the high scorer for Saint Mary's in the 66-61 win over Nevada, putting up 18 points of 7-11 shooting.

Senior guard Taycee Wedin also averages 12 PPG for SMC, contributing 2.7 RPG as well. Wedin knocked down a game-high five three-pointers on nine attempts in the 52-50 win over UC Davis. The Gaels currently shoot 75.9% from the charity stripe as a unit, averaging 11 made free throws per game, and also out-rebound their opponents by a 4-board margin per game.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE BRONCOS
WMU heads into Los Angeles after battling Big Ten opponent Purdue for 40 minutes. While the game ultimately ended in favor of the Boilermakers, the Broncos had nothing to hang their heads over.

Lauren Ross has been an offensive spark plug for Western Michigan this season, averaging 22.5 PPG and leading both contests in overall scoring. Ross finished with 26 points and four rebounds in West Lafayette, including 13 points in the third quarter alone. Currently, WMU has three players averaging double-digit scoring in Ross, redshirt-senior forward Reilly Jacobson, and junior guard Sydney Shafer.

The Broncos pair of forwards in Jacobson and redshirt-sophomore Taylor Williams have been an area of emphasis for opposing coaching staffs thus far, and one of the two have recorded a double-double in each of WMU's contests this season.

As a team, Western Michigan leads opponents in scoring by a margin of 14.5 PPG, while also leading opponents in rebounding, field goal percentage, steals, free throw percentage, and free throws per game.

The Broncos currently rank second in the MAC in defensive rebound percentage, snatching 78.1% of misses by opponents, and also rank second in field goal percentage, making 47.9% of their shot attempts. Ross's 22.5 PPG currently ranks third in the MAC, and the team also ranks third in the conference in defensive rebounds, with 31.5 per game, as well as rebounding margin over opponents at +7.5 RPG.

ON THE HORIZON
Following the trip out west, the Broncos return to University Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 23 to host Olivet College. Tip-off against the Comets is set for 7 p.m. For ticket information, please visit wmubroncos.com/tickets.

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