KALAMAZOO, Mich – The Western Michigan women's basketball team finishes up the regular season this Saturday when it travels to Toledo, Ohio for a matinee matchup between two tournament-bound teams. Tip-off from Savage Arena on March 5 is set for 2 p.m. and will feature the first and third-rated defenses in the Mid-American Conference.
 
WHERE TO WATCH
Saturday's matchup between the Broncos and Rockets will be available for streaming via ESPN+. The link to the stream is listed above, and can also be found HERE.
 
TAKING A LOOK AT TOLEDO (24-4, 18-1 MAC)
The Rockets host Western Michigan following a home victory over the visiting Northern Illinois Huskies by a final score of 74-56. Toledo ended the first half on a 20-0 run, which wound up being the difference in the contest.

Three UT players finished in double figures during the win. Junior guard Quinesha Lockett and freshman forward Jessica Cook each finished with 14 points on 6-10 shooting, while Cook pulled in eight rebounds and Lockett secured five boards of her own, in addition to three assists and two steals. Junior guard Sophia Wiard contributed 10 points on 4-8 shooting, as well as seven dimes and five boards to round out the double digit efforts for Toledo.

As a team, the Rockets sit at first place in the Mid-American Conference and average 71.8 PPG on 43.2 percent shooting. Toledo is also the conference leader defensively, limiting opponents to 59.8 PPG on just 36.5 percent shooting for a conference-best scoring margin of +12.0. Furthermore, UT sinks 31.0 percent of their looks from three and 74.8 percent of their tries from the foul line for an average 6.8 made triples and 12.8 made triples each time they take the floor.

On the glass, Toledo grabs 41.0 rebounds as a team and a MAC-best 29.32 DRPG, while also posting a conference-leading rebound margin (+6.21), assist to turnover ratio (+1.22) and defensive rebound percentage (.744). The Rockets dish out 14.3 assists per game and 12.8 turnovers per contest in addition to 6.1 steals per game and 3.3 blocks per contest.

Leading the Rocket offense this year is Quinesha Lockett, who sits at seventh in the MAC in scoring with 17.7 PPG on an even 40 percent shooting. Lockett also grabs 5.8 boards per game and knocks down 81.5 percent of her chances at the free throw line. Sophia Wiard is a big part of the Rocket offense as well, averaging 12.7 PPG on 46.4 percent from the field while ranking fourth in the MAC in assists per game (4.41) and second in free throw percentage (.852).
 
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM WESTERN MICHIGAN (16-12, 10-9 MAC)
The Broncos enter Savage Arena on Saturday after clinching their spot in the MAC Tournament with a win over Eastern Michigan this past Wednesday by a final score of 68-52. The win also secures Western Michigan this year's Battle of Michigan Championship thanks to a perfect season sweep against Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan. The 4-0 spread is the first for WMU since 1995-96 when Coach Pat Charity was at the helm.

Against the Eagles, three Broncos finished with double digit scoring performances, led by 18 points on 7-14 shooting and five rebounds from sophomore guard Lauren Ross. Redshirt sophomore forward Taylor Williams was one rebound shy of her ninth double-double of the season with 13 points on 6-13 (46.2 percent) from the field to go with nine rebounds, while senior guard Maddie Watters cashed in on 4-6 (66.7 percent) from beyond the arc for 12 points of her own. WMU finished with just nine turnovers, marking the second time this season the team has finished with single digit miscues.

As a unit, the Broncos average 65.8 PPG on 40.9 percent shooting while holding opponents to 62.7 PPG, which is third-lowest in the conference. WMU cashes in on 32.5 percent of their triples and 68.4 percent from the charity stripe for an average of 7.3 made threes and 11.5 made free throws per contest. Western Michigan also averages 12.9 assists per game, posts an assist/turnover ratio of +0.9, and averages an even 9.0 steals each time out. Thinking ahead, WMU is mathematically guaranteed a spot in Cleveland for the conference tournament thanks to successful head to head matchups with Ohio and Kent State this year.

The Broncos have been spearheaded offensively this season by Lauren Ross, who sits at sixth place in the MAC in both scoring and field goal percentage with 18.22 PPG on 43.6 percent shooting and 34.4 percent from three-point range. Ross is also seventh in terms of free throw percentage (.807) and leads all MAC sophomores in each of the three categories. The forward tandem of Taylor Williams and redshirt senior Reilly Jacobson have been very important as well, with the pair each averaging 11.7 PPG and combining for 12 double-doubles this season.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Following Saturday's game against Toledo, the Broncos await the announcement of their next opponent and game time in the conference tournament. All tournament information will be released to fans as soon as it is available. Stay up to date on all postseason news by following the team on Twitter and Instagram @wmu_wbb, or on Facebook by searching "Western Michigan Women's Basketball". Conference tournament updates will also be released at www.wmubroncos.com.

Tickets for MAC Tournament games can be found at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets, or by calling 1-888-4-WMU-TIX. We can't wait to see you all in Cleveland!

#LetsRide