KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team hits the road for the first time in 2023-24 on Tuesday night as it visits Northwestern. 
 

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (0-2) at Northwestern (2-0)

Date/Time: Tuesday, Nov. 14 – 8 pm

Site: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, Ill.)

Video: B1G+

Radio: Bronco Media Network

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

OPENING TIP

• Western Michigan hits the road for back-to-back games against Big Ten foes, starting on Tuesday at Northwestern. 
• The Broncos are coming off of a 77-70 loss to Georgia State on Saturday afternoon.
• Four different Broncos scored in double-figures, led by Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro and Titus Wright who each netted 12.
• At 14.5 per game, Western Michigan is again atop the MAC in offensive rebounding, a category it led the league in last season at 12.2 per game. 
• This marks the sixth consecutive season the Broncos have faced at least one opponent from the Big Ten. 
• WMU's last win over a Big Ten foe came at Michigan, 56-52, on Nov. 30, 2002.
• Northwestern owns a 24-7 record in the all-time series entering Tuesday night.
• The Wildcats took the most recent meeting, 67-61, on Dec. 20, 2014.
• The last win for the Broncos in the series came in Evanston on Dec. 3, 1955.

LONG AND WINDING ROAD
Western Michigan hits the road for the first time in 2023-24 on Tuesday night as it visits Northwestern. It is the front end of a back-to-back against Big Ten opponents for the Broncos, who are set to visit Ohio State on Sunday. It also begins a stretch of four consecutive contests away from home for WMU.

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of a 77-70 loss to Georgia State on Saturday afternoon at University Arena. Western Michigan had four players score in double-figures in the contest, led by Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro and Titus Wright, who tallied 12 points apiece. 

BALANCED BRONCOS
Western Michigan had four players score in double-figures on Saturday against Georgia State, with Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro (12), Titus Wright (12), Seth Hubbard (11) and Owen Lobsinger (11) all tallying double-digit points. It was the first time the Broncos have had four or more players score in double-figures during the young season after doing so nine times in 2022-23. B. Artis White joins Saturday's quartet as the five to have scored 10 or more through the season's first two games. WMU also had four players secure five or more rebounds in Saturday's contest, with Anthony Crump and Markhi Strickland recording seven apiece, and Lobsinger and Wright each grabbing five.

THE WRIGHT STUFF
Titus Wright came off of the WMU bench to score 12 points and snare five rebounds in 19 minutes of action on Saturday. Through two games, the senior center is nearly averaging a double-double, 9.0 points and 8.0 rebounds, with his 8.0 rebounds ranking sixth in the Mid-American Conference. 

HOT-HAND HUBBARD
Seth Hubbard got hot down the stretch at the end of the 2022-23 campaign for WMU and it has carried over to the first week of the new season, as he's scored in double-figures in each of the first two games off of the bench. Going back to last season, Hubbard has hit 24-of-48 (.500) from downtown and averaged 11.1 points over his last 11 games. 

DIALING LONG DISTANCE
WMU was prolific from beyond the arc last season, as it knocked down 250 three-pointers, the second-most in a single season in school history. So far, the Broncos have picked up where they left off, hitting 19 three-pointers in their first two games. Western Michigan's 9.5 made triples per game is third-most in the MAC, while its .404 three-point percentage is second-best. WMU has made at least one three-pointer in 393 straight games dating back to 2011.

CRASHING THE BOARDS
Another strength for Western Michigan a season ago was its rebounding, as it led the MAC in both rebounding margin (+4.7/game) and offensive rebounding (12.2/game). WMU's attack on the offensive glass has continued through the season's first week, as the Brown and Gold once again are atop the league, averaging 14.5 offensive rebounds per contest. The Broncos secured a season-high 16 on Saturday against GSU, which led to 19 second-chance points.

WMU VS THE BIG TEN
Northwestern is the first of two consecutive Big Ten opponents for the Broncos, who have at least one Big Ten opponent on their schedule for the sixth straight season. Western Michigan is in search of its first win over a Big Ten opponent since coming away with a 56-52 victory at Michigan on Nov. 30, 2002.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Like the Broncos, the Wildcats started their season with a pair of home games, picking up home victories over Binghamton and Dayton in the season's first week. Boo Buie, an All-Big Ten First Team selection a year ago, is averaging 21.0 points through two games for Northwestern, with Ryan Langborg (16.0 PPG) and Brooks Barnhizer (15.5 PPG) also averaging double-digits.

SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan and Northwestern have met 31 times prior to Tuesday, with the Wildcats leading the series, 24-7. The most recent meeting was a 67-61 Northwestern win on Dec. 20, 2014. WMU's last win in the series came in Evanston on Dec. 3, 1955. 

ON THE HORIZON
Western Michigan continues its road trip through Big Ten country on Sunday afternoon as it visits Ohio State in an Emerald Coast Classic campus game in Columbus.