KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team hits the road on Tuesday night to take on Notre Dame.
GAME INFO
Matchup: Western Michigan (2-5) at Notre Dame (3-4)
Date/Time: Tuesday, Dec. 5 – 7 pm
Site: Purcell Pavilion (South Bend, Ind.)
Video: ACCNX
Radio: Bronco Media Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
OPENING TIP
- Western Michigan hits the road on Tuesday for a showdown with Notre Dame.
- The Fighting Irish are the third and final power conference opponent for WMU.
- The Broncos are coming off of a 65-51 home loss to St. Thomas on Friday night.
- Anthony Crump had a team-high 12 points on Friday, his first double-digit scoring effort as a Bronco.
- Owen Lobsinger secured a game-high eight rebounds for WMU.
- Western Michigan currently boasts three of the top-14 in the MAC in rebounding, led by Lobsinger at 6.3 per game (8th).
- Tuesday marks the 28th all-time meeting between the Broncos and the Fighting Irish, with UND leading the series 20-7.
- The most recent meeting came on Dec. 20, 2021, with Notre Dame coming out on top, 85-52, in South Bend.
- WMU's last win against an ACC opponent was a 71-68 victory over Virginia Tech on Nov. 23, 2006, in Orlando.
POWER TRIP
Western Michigan visits Notre Dame on Tuesday evening for the final of its three non-conference tilts against power conference programs. The Broncos have already had road games against both Northwestern and Ohio State out of the Big Ten.
LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of a 65-51 loss to St. Thomas on Friday night at University Arena.
Anthony Crump led the Brown and Gold with 12 points, the first double-digit scoring performance at Western Michigan for the NIU transfer.
Owen Lobsinger snared a game-high eight rebounds, his fourth straight game with at least eight boards.
MONEY FROM THE FOUL LINE
Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro had 10 points on Friday, with eight coming from an 8-for-8 performance at the free throw line. The eight made free throws tied the sophomore's career high, and he is currently sixth in the MAC with an .875 free throw percentage.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
Coming in to Tuesday night's contest, Western Michigan boasts three of the top-14 rebounders in the MAC.
Owen Lobsinger leads the way for the Broncos at 6.3 per game, which ranks eighth in the league. Just outside the conference's top-10 are
Anthony Crump (5.9, 12th) and
Titus Wright (5.6, 14th).
THE WRIGHT STUFF
After ranking fourth in the conference in field goal percentage last season at 58.7 percent, the seventh-best single-season mark in program history,
Titus Wright has been even more efficient from the field thus far in 2023-24. The senior has made 50.0 percent of his field goals in all but one game this season and overall is shooting 61.8 percent from the floor, the fifth-best mark in the MAC.
SUPER SOPHOMORE
After scoring in double-figures in each of the first six games of the season,
Seth Hubbard was held to a season-low seven points on Friday against St. Thomas. The sophomore still ranks among the league's top scorers, checking in at 10th with 15.7 points per game. Hubbard is one of the top three-point shooters in the MAC as well, ranking third with 2.6 made three's per game.
LENDING A HELPING HAND
Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro handed out 10 assists on Nov. 14 at Northwestern, the first double-digit assist performance by a Bronco since Thomas Wilder had 10 at Washington back on Dec. 18, 2016. De La Cruz Monegro is one of two MAC players (Giovanni Santiago, Kent State) to have a double-digit assist performance this season. He ranks sixth in the MAC in both assists (3.6) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7).
ON THE OFFENSIVE
Western Michigan led the conference in offensive rebounding last season at 12.2 per game and is up near the top of the league once again, ranking third at 11.6 offensive boards per contest. Individually, the Broncos have two inside the top-10 in offensive rebounding, with
Titus Wright tied for fourth (2.7) and
Owen Lobsinger tied for ninth (2.0).
DIALING LONG DISTANCE
Western Michigan is tied for third in the MAC with 8.0 made three-pointers per game. WMU has made at least one three-pointer in 398 straight games dating back to 2011.
WMU VS THE ACC
The Broncos have not faced many teams from the ACC in recent years, with Notre Dame the only ACC opponent Western Michigan has faced since a 2014 NCAA Tournament First Round game against Syracuse. WMU has dropped its last four overall against ACC foes, with the latest win a 71-68 victory over Virginia Tech on Nov. 23, 2006, at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando.
SERIES HISTORY
Tuesday night marks the 28th meeting in the all-time series between Western Michigan and Notre Dame, with the Fighting Irish leading the series 20-7. The most recent meeting was on Dec. 20, 2021, with UND winning it, 85-52, for its ninth straight win in the series. WMU's last win in the series came on Feb. 28, 1966, and its last win in South Bend came on Dec. 4, 1943.
ON THE HORIZON
The Broncos return to Kalamazoo on Saturday afternoon to face Youngstown State.