KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan women's basketball is in Cleveland this week for the Mid-American Conference Championship, and have drawn a first round contest against the Buffalo Bulls on Wednesday, March 9. Tip-off inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse will be 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game prior, most likely around 4 p.m.
 
WHERE TO WATCH
WMU's matchup with the Bulls tomorrow will be available for streaming via ESPN3. The link to the stream is listed above and can also be found HERE.
 
BREAKING DOWN BUFFALO (22-8, 16-4 MAC)
The Bulls prep to battle Western Michigan on Wednesday following a win over Bowling Green on Saturday by a final score of 81-62. Four Bulls finished in double figures in the win over the Falcons for a balanced scoring effort.

Freshman guard Georgia Wooley lead all scorers with 20 points and eight rebounds in addition to a pair of steals, while graduate forward Summer Hemphill recorded a double-double with 18 points on a perfect 8-8 from the field and 12 rebounds, as well as four assists.

Senior forward Adebola Adeyeye was next with 13 points, eight rebounds, and four steals, while junior forward Loren Christie notched 12 points and six rebounds during her night to round out the double digit efforts for UB.

As a team, Buffalo posts a scoring average of 76.2 PPG at 42.9 percent shooting this season, which leads the MAC, while giving up an average of 67.3 PPG for a scoring margin of +8.9. The Bulls shoot at a clip of 31.5 percent from three-point range and knock down 72.6 percent of their free throws for an average of 5.6 made threes and 14.0 made foul shots per game.

On the boards, UB yanks down 41.9 RPG, which also leads the conference, and post a rebounding margin of +2.4 on the year. Buffalo also dishes out 15.3 assists per game and swipes 9.3 steals per game. The Bulls have been driven this season by Dyaisha Fair, who finished the regular season first in the conference in scoring with 23.1 PPG on 39.5 percent shooting from the field, as well as 4.9 boards and 4.2 assists each time out.
 
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM WESTERN MICHIGAN (16-13, 10-10 MAC)
The Broncos enter Cleveland on Monday after a tough outing against Toledo this past Saturday, falling 74-61 in hostile territory. A strong offensive second half boosted UT past Western Michigan to finish out the regular season.

Redshirt sophomore forward Taylor Williams led the way for WMU in terms of both scoring and rebounding, ending her day with 17 points, six rebounds, and a pair of steals. Redshirt senior forward Reilly Jacobson was next with 12 points and a pair of boards in addition to two blocked shots as well. Senior guard Maddie Watters had a solid shooting night as well, contributing nine points on 3-5 from three-point range.

As a group, Western Michigan averages 65.6 PPG on 41.0 percent shooting so far this season, while limiting opponents to 63.1 PPG on 40.4 percent shooting, which is third in the MAC. On top of the success defensively, WMU posts a scoring margin of +2.5. The Broncos connect on 32.7 percent of their triples and 68.2 percent of their charity stripe opportunities for 7.3 made threes and 11.4 made free throws each time they take the court.

On the boards, Western Michigan pulls down an average of 33.4 missed shots per game, and dish out 12.7 dimes each game while opponents cough the ball up 17.1 times per game for a WMU turnover margin of +2.1 on the year. The squad also ranks fifth in the Mid-American Conference in steals per game, averaging 8.97 takeaways when they hit the hardwood.

Thus far, Western Michigan has been ushered offensively by Lauren Ross, who gives the Broncos 17.9 PPG shooting at a clip of 43.8 percent on the season. Ross also pulls in 4.9 boards per game and knocks down 80.7 percent of her freebies. Additionally, Ross finished seventh in the MAC in scoring, field goal percentage, and free throw percentage, while leading all other freshmen in scoring and field goal percentage. The post tandem of Taylor Williams and Reilly Jacobson have been critical to WMU success as of late as well.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Should the Broncos emerge victorious against Buffalo, they take on the winner of the face-off between Bowling Green and Akron on Friday, March 11 in the second game of the day. Tip-off time will be announced at a later time.

Tickets to all Bronco MAC Tournament games are available at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets, or by calling 1-888-4-WMU-TIX. The Bronco Athletic Fund is also hosting a pre-game gathering at The Clevelander Bar and Grill (834 E Huron Road, Cleveland, OH), and encourage all Western Michigan fans to attend prior to entering Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for tip-off.

#LetsRide