KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan women's basketball heads to Athens, Ohio this weekend for the regular season finale against the Ohio Bobcats. Tip-off on Saturday, Feb. 12 inside the Convocation Center is set for 1 p.m.
 
WHERE TO WATCH
WMU's matchup with OU is be available for streaming via ESPN3. The link is listed above, and can also be found HERE.
 
OBSERVATIONS ON OHIO (11-8, 5-5 MAC)
The Bobcats prep to host WMU following a ten-point loss on the road at Northern Illinois, where the Huskies won by a final margin of 80-70. The loss is the third in a row for Ohio, and the Bobcats' most recent contest against Ball State was postponed due to the Mid-American Conference COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions.

Against NIU, four Bobcats finished in double figures, led by senior guard Cece Hooks, who totaled 20 points on 7-12 from the field (58.3 percent), six rebounds, and five assists during her 37-minute evening. Redshirt junior guard Erica Johnson and freshman guard Yaya Felder each contributed 16 points and combined for six boards, while redshirt sophomore forward Alexandra Antonova added 13 points on 4-7 from beyond the arc to round out the double-digit efforts for OU.

Collectively, Ohio averages a MAC-best 76.16 PPG on 41.4 percent from the floor, while allowing 70.9 PPG from opponents for a scoring margin of +5.21. The Bobcats shoot 32.5 percent as a group from deep and 68.0 percent from the free throw line for an average of 9.16 made triples, which is second in the conference, and also sink 13.0 foul shots per game.

On the glass, the Bobcats pull in 37.9 RPG and dish out 13.3 dimes each time they take the court. Ohio also leads the MAC in steals per game and turnover margin, averaging 10.95 takeaways per outing on the season, posting a +5.47 TO margin. The Bobcats are led by Cece Hooks, who leads all MAC players in scoring with 23.42 PPG in addition to grabbing 8.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest.
 
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM WESTERN MICHIGAN (12-9, 6-6 MAC)
The Broncos return to the state of Ohio following a loss suffered at the hands of the Akron Zips, falling 86-70 this past Wednesday. The Zips had a night where they seemingly could not miss, shooting 72.4 percent in the first half, and 62.3 percent for the game.

Leading Western Michigan in scoring for the sixteenth time this season was sophomore guard Lauren Ross, who posted 23 points on 10-19 (52.6 percent) from the field. Redshirt sophomore guard Taylor Williams added 15 points, six boards, and three steals during her time on the court, while junior guard Sydney Shafer cashed in for 13 points and a pair of boards off the bench. Senior guard Maddie Watters gave WMU solid minutes as well, knocking down 3-5 from deep for nine points on the night.

So far this season, the Broncos put up an average of 65.5 PPG at a clip of 41.1 percent shooting. WMU also ranks third in the MAC defensively, limiting opponents to 62.24 PPG while shooting at an average of 40.1 percent from the field, which is fifth in the conference. On top of that, Western Michigan posts a scoring margin of +3.3 on the year. From three-point range, WMU sinks 31.2 percent of their attempts while hitting 69.6 percent of their free throws for a rate of 6.8 made three-pointers and 11.9 freebies per outing.

Western Michigan rips down 33.8 rebounds per game as a team and sit at fifth in the conference in terms of rebounding defense, holding opponents to 36.7 RPG, all while dishing out 12.5 dimes per outing. Opponents also average 17.4 turnovers against the Broncos as WMU posts a turnover margin of +1.8 for their campaign. Western Michigan also averages 9.05 steals per game, and sends back 2.6 shot attempts each time they hit the hardwood.

Leading the Bronco offense this season has been Lauren Ross, who averages 18.6 PPG shooting at a rate of 45.1 percent from the floor. Ross also grabs 5.3 boards per game and finds the net on 85 percent of her charity-stripe opportunities. Each of the two WMU post players have also been crucial this season, as redshirt senior forward Reilly Jacobson notches 12.3 PPG shooting at a clip of 45.6 percent, recording 5.2 RPG as well. Redshirt sophomore forward Taylor Williams is an additional key to WMU success, tallying 11.2 PPG and leading the team in rebounding, clearing 8.7 RPG. The tandem has combined for nine total double-doubles this season, and each recorded individual double-doubles at Miami earlier this season.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Following Saturday's bout with the Bobcats, Western Michigan returns to Kalamazoo seeking revenge on the Bowling Green Falcons. Tip-off inside University Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 16 is set for 7 p.m and will be available for streaming via ESPN+. Wednesday night will also be WMU's Unity Game. Further information on the event will be released closer to the date itself.

Students get into all WMU home games free with a valid Bronco ID, and tickets for all Bronco home games can be found wmubroncos.com/tickets, or by calling 1-888-4-WMU-TIX.

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