KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team begins a stretch of three games in five days on Tuesday night as it visits Akron for its first road game of 2022. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3 and the Bronco Media Network.

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (4-12, 0-5 MAC) at Akron (9-5, 2-2 MAC)

Date/Time: Tuesday, Jan. 18 – 6 pm

Site: James A. Rhodes Arena (Akron, Ohio)

Radio: Bronco Media Network

Video: ESPN3

Live Stats: SIDEARM

OPENING TIP

• Western Michigan begins a stretch of three games in five days with its first road game of 2022 on Tuesday night at Akron. 
• Back on Saturday, the Broncos took a one-point edge into halftime for the second straight game, but fell to Miami, 70-62.
• Lamar Norman Jr. paced Western Michigan in scoring, netting a game-high 26. 
• It was the 13th straight game in double-figures for Norman, and his seventh game this season with 20 or more points.
• Titus Wright was also in double-digits, as he chipped in a season-high 11 points.
• Western Michigan committed a season-low eight turnovers in the contest.
• Tuesday marks the 56th all-time meeting between WMU and Akron, with the Zips holding a 35-20 advantage in the series. 
• Akron has taken each of the last five meetings and 11 of the last 12.
• Western Michigan is 5-19 all-time at Akron, with the last road win for the Broncos an 83-75 triumph on Jan. 3, 2004.

BRONCOS BEGIN BUSY WEEK
Western Michigan begins a stretch of three games in five days on Tuesday as it plays its first road game of 2022 at Akron. The Broncos are slated to play at Central Michigan on Thursday night, before returning home on Saturday afternoon to face Bowling Green.

LAST TIME OUT
For the second straight game, Western Michigan took a one-point lead into the halftime locker room, but WMU again fell victim to a second-half rally in a 70-62 loss to Miami. Lamar Norman Jr. poured in a game-high 26 points to lead the Broncos, his 13th straight game in double-figures, while Titus Wright added a season-high 11 for WMU. 

PROTECTING THE ROCK
In Saturday afternoon's contest againt Miami, Western Michigan committed a season-low eight turnovers. It was the first time the Broncos had committed single-digit turnovers since Jan. 30, 2021, at Miami, when they turned the ball over just seven times. 

WMU VS AKRON
Tuesday night's contest is slated to be the 56th all-time meeting between Western Michigan and Akron. The Zips own a 35-20 advantage in the series, and have won five in a row. The Broncos are 5-19 all-time at Akron, and are without a road victory over the Zips since an 83-75 win on Jan. 3, 2004.

WHEN LAST WE MET
In the lone meeting between the two programs last season, Akron pulled out a 79-68 victory at University Arena on Jan. 23, 2021. Greg Lee led Western Michigan with 22 points, while Adrian Martin netted a then career-high 11 points for the Broncos.

SCOUTING THE ZIPS
Akron's defense sits atop the MAC, allowing a league-low 62.8 points per game. Four Zips are averaging double-figures this season, including Enrique Freeman, who is averaging a double-double, with 12.4 points and a league-leading 10.9 rebounds per game. Freeman has posted eight double-doubles this season, five more than the next closest player in the conference.

SCORIN' NORMAN
Western Michigan newcomer Lamar Norman Jr. has burst onto the scene, ranking second in the MAC at 19.3 points per game. With his 26 against Miami on Saturday, the junior extended his streak of double-digit scoring games to 13 in a row. Norman is the only player in the league to have multiple 30-point games and has seven 20-point efforts, tied for second-most in the conference this season. He currently leads the MAC in made three-pointers at 3.5 per contest.

MAKING HIS MARK
Fellow WMU newcomer Markeese Hastings ranks in the top-10 of the conference in several categories as well. The redshirt sophomore ranks eighth in field goal percentage (.496), third in rebounding (8.0), third in offensive rebounding (3.1) and sixth in defensive rebounding (4.9). Hastings is second in the league with four double-digit rebounding games, and his 18 rebounds at Toledo on Dec. 29 remains the highest single-game total by a MAC player this season.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Transfers Lamar Norman Jr. (Duquesne) and Markeese Hastings (Butler) have been among the most impactful transfers in all of Division I, as the duo represents two of the 13 DI transfers who have increased their scoring averages by 8.0 points or more from last season. Norman has increased his scoring average by 14.3 PPG (5.0 to 19.3), while Hastings has jumped 8.2 PPG (0.5 to 8.7). Norman's 14.3 PPG increase is second only to Eastern Michigan's Noah Farrakhan (+14.4 PPG).

CHASING 1500
Coming into Tuesday's game, Western Michigan senior guard Mack Smith sits on 1468 career points, 32 shy of 1500. The Eastern Illinois transfer currently ranks 81st on the NCAA DI active scoring leaders list.

345 AND COUNTING
WMU has made at least one three-pointer in 345 straight games dating back to 2011. 

ON THE HORIZON
WMU continues its busy week on Thursday on the road at Central Michigan.