KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team heads back out on the road on Saturday as it visits Bowling Green for a 5 pm tip. The game is set to be broadcast on ESPN3 and the Bronco Media Network. 
 

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (6-22, 2-15 MAC) at Bowling Green (12-16, 5-12 MAC)

Date/Time: Saturday, Feb. 26 – 5 pm

Site: Stroh Center (Bowling Green, Ohio)

Radio: Bronco Media Network

Video: ESPN3

Live Stats: SIDEARM

OPENING TIP

• Western Michigan heads out on the road on Saturday afternoon to face BGSU.
• The Broncos are coming off of a 92-50 loss to Toledo at University Arena on Tuesday.
• Western Michigan equaled its season low with eight turnovers in the contest, and did not have any in the first half.  
• Lamar Norman Jr. was held to nine points on Tuesday, snapping his double-digit scoring streak at 24 straight games. 
• Norman enters the weekend as the MAC's leading scorer at 19.7 points per game. 
• With his 89 made three-pointers this season, Norman is two shy of tying Levi Rost's single-season record, set in 2004-05.
• Saturday's game is set to be the 125th all-time meeting between WMU and BGSU.
• The Falcons own a 75-49 edge in the series, including a 42-18 mark on their home floor against the Broncos.
• Bowling Green took the first meeting between the two teams this season, topping the Broncos, 82-75, back on Jan. 22.

THE ROAD AHEAD
Western Michigan begins its final road trip of the season on Saturday as it visits Bowling Green. The Broncos then finish out their road slate on Tuesday at Eastern Michigan. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of a 92-50 loss to Toledo on Tuesday night at University Arena. The Rockets took a five-point lead into halftime, and then started the second half with a 28-0 run to put the game beyond reach.

PROTECTING THE ROCK
Western Michigan equaled its season low with eight turnovers against Toledo, its fourth single-digit turnover total of the season. The Broncos were particularly protective of the basketball in the first half, as they did not commit any turnovers in the opening 20 minutes of the contest. 

WMU VS BGSU
Saturday's game marks the 125th all-time meeting between Western Michigan and Bowling Green. The Falcons lead the series 75-49, including an 82-75 victory in Kalamazoo back on Jan. 22. WMU is just 18-42 in road tilts against BGSU, but did pick up a 76-70 victory at the Stroh Center last year.

EARLIER THIS SEASON
In the prior meeting this season back on Jan. 22, Western Michigan held a 73-70 edge with under three minutes to play, but Bowling Green ended the game with a 12-2 run to escape with the 82-75 victory. Lamar Norman Jr. paced WMU with 20 points, while Mileek McMillan added a season-high 15. Daeqwon Plowden netted a game-high 23 points to lead the way for the Falcons. 

SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Bowling Green enters Saturday's contest on a five-game losing streak. The Falcons boast the top scoring offense in the conference, pouring in an average of 81.6 points per game. Daeqwon Plowden leads the attack at 15.9 points per contest, which ranks ninth in the MAC. Plowden is also sixth in the league in rebounding at 7.0 per game. Myron Gordon is 11th in assists (3.3) and owns the top assist/turnover ratio in the conference (2.8).

SCORIN' NORMAN
Western Michigan junior guard Lamar Norman Jr. sits atop the MAC at 19.7 points per game, and leads the conference in league play at 20.9 points per contest. Norman has scored double-digit points in 25 of 27 games this season, is one of two players in the conference to have three 30+ point games, and his 14 games of 20+ points are tied for second in the conference. He leads the league at 3.3 made threes per game. 

CLOSING IN ON A RECORD
With his three three-pointers on Tuesday night, Lamar Norman Jr. increased his season total to 89, second-most in a single season in Western Michigan history. The single-season  program record is 91, and was set by Levi Rost during the 2004-05 campaign. 

MAKING HIS MARK
Redshirt sophomore Markeese Hastings ranks in the top-10 of the MAC in several categories, including rebounding (2nd, 8.8), offensive rebounding (3rd, 3.2), defensive rebounding (3rd, 5.6) and field goal percentage (10th, .503). In league play, Hastings is second in the MAC at 9.9 rebounds per game, and his 18 rebounds at Toledo on Dec. 29 is tied for the highest single-game total by a MAC player this season.

THE GODWIN HEIGHTS CONNECTION
Former Godwin Heights HS teammates Lamar Norman Jr. and Markeese Hastings are all over the MAC leaderboards and climbing in the national rankings as well. Norman ranks 24th nationally in points per game (19.7), 24th in total points (533), 34th in made field goals (187), 12th in made threes per game (3.3) and 13th in total threes made (89). Hastings sits 33rd in rebounds per game (8.8), 29th in total rebounds (246) and 28th in offensive rebounds per game (3.2).

357 AND COUNTING
WMU made nine threes on Tuesday and has made at least one three-pointer in 357 straight games dating back to 2011. 

ON THE HORIZON
The Broncos are back on the road on Tuesday evening as they visit Eastern Michigan.