KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team heads down to Fort Myers, Fla., this weekend to take part in the FGCU Invitational. The Broncos are set to face the host, Florida Gulf Coast, on Friday night, Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday and Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday.

GAME INFO - FRIDAY

Matchup: Western Michigan (1-3) at Florida Gulf Coast (3-2)

Date/Time: Friday, Nov. 26 – 7 pm

Site: Alico Arena (Fort Myers, Fla.)

Radio: Bronco Radio Network

Video: ESPN+

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

GAME INFO - SATURDAY

Matchup: Western Michigan vs. Purdue Fort Wayne

Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 27 – 4:30 pm

Site: Alico Arena (Fort Myers, Fla.)

Radio: Bronco Radio Network

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

GAME INFO - SUNDAY

Matchup: Western Michigan vs. Southeastern Louisiana

Date/Time: Sunday, Nov. 28 – 1:30 pm

Site: Alico Arena (Fort Myers, Fla.)

Radio: Bronco Radio Network

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

OPENING TIP

• WMU begins play at the FGCU Invitational in Fort Myers, Fla., on Friday night as it takes on the host, Florida Gulf Coast.
• The Broncos are coming off of a 109-61 loss at Iowa on Monday night in what was their second road game of the season against a Big Ten opponent.
• Lamar Norman Jr. led Western Michigan in scoring for the third time in the team's four games, netting 19 points. Mack Smith added 12 points for the Broncos.
• In total, nine different Broncos scored and 11 grabbed at least one rebound.
• As a team, WMU recorded a season-high 13 offensive rebounds on Monday and out-rebounded the Hawkeyes, 38-37.
• The Broncos are making their third trip to Florida in the last four seasons.
• Friday marks the first-ever meeting between WMU and Florida Gulf Coast.
• FGCU is coming off of a 67-66 win over Rhode Island on Tuesday. Tavian Martin-Dunn led the Eagles with 26 points.

BEACH BOUND BRONCOS
For the third time in the last four seasons, Western Michigan is headed down south for a non-conference event in Florida. This weekend, WMU is set to face Florida Gulf Coast, Purdue Fort Wayne and Southeastern Louisiana in the FGCU Invitational.

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of a 109-61 loss at undefeated Iowa on Monday night. Lamar Norman Jr. paced the Broncos in scoring for the third time in four games, pouring in 19. Mack Smith was in double-figures for the second time this season, adding 12.

UNLUCKY 13
Western Michigan set a new season high with 13 offensive rebounds on Monday night and edged the Hawkeyes 38-37 on the glass. WMU has out-rebounded its opponent in three of its four games this season.

UNFAMILIAR FOES
At this weekend's FGCU Invitational, WMU is facing two opponents in Florida Gulf Coast and Southeastern Louisiana that it has never played before. The Broncos have met with Purdue Fort Wayne twice and split a pair of matchups. Western Michigan won 77-48 in the first-ever meeting on Jan. 14, 2004, and the Mastodons won the more recent showdown, 89-86, on Dec. 22, 2015.

ABOUT THE EAGLES
FGCU enters the weekend 3-2 overall after beating Rhode Island on Tuesday. The Eagles were picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic Sun in the league's preseason coaches poll.

ABOUT THE MASTODONS
A mere two-hour ride from Kalamazoo, Purdue Fort Wayne enters Friday at 2-1 on its young season after a road loss to Minnesota last Friday. The Mastodons were slotted ninth in the Horizon League preseason poll.

ABOUT THE LIONS
Southeastern Louisiana brings a 3-2 record into the weekend after dispatching Ecclesia College 121-79 on Monday. The Lions were picked to finish third in the Southland's preseason poll, garnering one first-place vote.

WMU IN THE SUNSHINE STATE
Western Michigan is back in Florida for the third time in the last four seasons. In 2018-19, the Broncos split a pair of games at the Emerald Coast Classic in Fort Walton Beach. Two seasons ago, WMU fell to Yale and Seattle at the NIT Pre-Season Tip-Off in Orlando. The Broncos have lost three straight in the Sunshine State, with the last win coming against Southern, 85-70, on Nov. 23, 2018.

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 four games, with Lamar Norman Jr. pacing the WMU offense in scoring three times, while Mack Smith has done it once. 

SCORIN' NORMAN
Lamar Norman Jr. has gotten his WMU career off to a fast start, averaging a team-high 18.0 points, third-most in the MAC. The junior is one of three players in the league to have a pair of 20+ point efforts this season. Norman has been efficient as well, knocking down 47.3 percent from the field (10th in the MAC) and 46.1 percent from downtown (2nd). At 4.5 made three-pointers per game, he is averaging one more make than the next closest player 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.

333 AND COUNTING
WMU has made at least one three-pointer in 333 straight games dating back to 2011.

BRONCO BITES

• Nine different Broncos scored and 11 had at least one rebound at Iowa.
• Danny Kolp's eight points (3-3 FG, 2-2 FT) against the Hawkeyes were the most he's scored in a Bronco uniform.
• Mack Smith had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists at Iowa, the first 10-5-5 game by a Western Michigan player since Greg Lee had 10 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists on March 2, 2021 at NIU.