KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team closes out its non-conference schedule on Friday evening as it travels to Madison, Wisc., to take on the 15th-ranked Badgers. 

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (4-8) at #15 Wisconsin (9-2)

Date/Time: Friday, Dec. 30 – 8 pm (EST)

Site: Kohl Center (Madison, Wisc.)

Video: BTN+

Radio: Bronco Media Network

Live Stats: SIDEARM

OPENING TIP

• Western Michigan begins a three-game road swing on Friday night as it travels to #15 Wisconsin for its final non-conference game before MAC play begins next week.
• Prior to the holiday break, the Broncos closed out their non-conference home slate with a 61-41 win over Siena Heights.
• Owen Lobsinger led Western Michigan in scoring for the first time in his career, as the sophomore netted a career-high 12.
• Markeese Hastings tied his career high with 18 rebounds against the Saints. 
• The Broncos lead the MAC in rebounding (39.4/game), rebounding margin (+10.1) and offensive rebounding (13.1). 
• Wisconsin is Western Michigan's second Big Ten opponent of the season, with the Broncos having fallen at Minnesota, 61-60, to open the season on Nov. 7. 
• UW won the only prior meeting between the two progams, 80-68, on Dec. 6, 1954. 
• WMU is in search of its first win over a ranked opponent since Nov. 21, 2007. 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Western Michigan begins a stretch of three straight road games on Friday as it travels to Madison for its non-conference finale against 15th-ranked Wisconsin. WMU opens MAC play next week with road games at Kent State (Jan. 3) and Toledo (Jan. 6).

LAST TIME OUT
Back on Dec. 21, Western Michigan headed into its holiday break with a 61-41 win over Siena Heights at University Arena. Owen Lobsinger led the Broncos in scoring with a career-high 12 points, while Lamar Norman Jr. chipped in 10. Markeese Hastings secured 18 rebounds to tie his career high. 

GETTING DEFENSIVE
WMU's defense put together its best outing to date in the win over SHU, holding the Saints to 41 points, including eight in the first half, both of which were season lows against the Broncos. Western Michigan's defense also set season lows for field goals allowed (14), three-pointers allowed (1), opponent field goal percentage (.255) and opponent three-point percentage (.059) in the victory over the Saints. 

CRASHING THE BOARDS
In its victory over Siena Heights last week, Western Michigan won the rebounding battle for the fourth straight game and ninth time this season. The Broncos grabbed 50 boards against SHU, the third time in its last four WMU has reached 50 or more. Western Michigan currently sits atop the MAC in total rebounding (39.4/game), rebounding margin (+10.1) and offensive rebounding (13.1).

BENCH BOOST
Owen Lobsinger led the Broncos in scoring against SHU with a career-high 12 points. The sophomore is the seventh different WMU player to have scored in double-figures off of the bench so far this season. 

WMU VS WISCONSIN
Western Michigan and Wisconsin are set to meet for just the second time ever on Friday evening. The first meeting between the Broncos and Badgers came back on Dec. 6, 1954, with Wisconsin prevailing, 80-68. 

BRONCOS VS THE BIG TEN
Wisconsin is the second Big Ten foe on Western Michigan's 2022-23 schedule, as the Broncos began the season with a 61-60 loss at Minnesota on Nov. 7. WMU has played at least one Big Ten opponent in each of the last five seasons, and is looking for its first win against a Big Ten member since a 56-52 win at Michigan on Nov. 30, 2002.

WMU VS RANKED TEAMS
Coming in this week at No.15, the Badgers are the first ranked foe Western Michigan has faced since Dec. 6, 2020, when the Broncos visited #8 Michigan State. Friday marks the 12th time since 2010 that WMU has faced a ranked opponent. The last win over a ranked team for the Broncos was an 83-76 victory over a Stephen Curry-led #25 Davidson on Nov. 21, 2007, in Kalamazoo. 

SCORIN' NORMAN
Lamar Norman Jr. tallied 10 points against Siena Heights, marking the 38th time in 41 games as a Bronco he has reached double-figures. The senior has led Western Michigan in scoring 33 times during his time in the Brown & Gold, including eight times this season. He currently ranks seventh in the MAC in scoring at 18.3 points per game.  

LONG-RANGE LAMAR
Lamar Norman Jr. sits atop the MAC with an average of 3.5 made three's per game this season, and has made 38 total, second-most in the conference. The senior's 3.5 made three-pointers per game rank 11th in the nation, and his 38 total triples are 29th.

MAKING HIS MARK
Markeese Hastings has been a key part of Western Michigan's success on the glass, as the redshirt junior has reeled in double-digit rebounds seven times thus far this season, tied for the most in the Mid-American Conference. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native's 18 rebounds against Siena Heights tied his career high, and marked the largest single-game total by a MAC player in 2022-23. Hastings currently ranks in the top-5 in the league in total rebounding (3rd, 9.3/game), defensive rebounding (2nd, 6.3) and offensive rebounding (4th, 3.0).

372 AND COUNTING
WMU has made at least one three-pointer in 372 straight games dating back to 2011. 

HALFTIME LEADS TURN INTO W'S
The Broncos own a 53-20 record over the last five seasons when leading at halftime.

ON THE HORIZON
Western Michigan begins Mid-American Conference play next week with road trips to Kent State (Jan. 3) and Toledo (Jan. 6).