KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team hits the road for a pair of game this week, beginning on Tuesday night as it travels down to Oxford to take on Miami. 
 

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (6-16, 2-8 MAC) at Miami (7-16, 1-9 MAC)

Date/Time: Tuesday, Feb. 7 – 7 pm

Site: Millett Hall (Oxford, Ohio)

Video: ESPN+

Radio: Bronco Media Network

Live Stats: SIDEARM

OPENING TIP

• Western Michigan hits the road on Tuesday evening as it visits Miami.
• The Broncos are coming off of an 85-76 home loss to Buffalo on Saturday. 
• Tray Maddox Jr. led WMU with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists. 
• Maddox is the third different Bronco to have a 20+ point game off of the bench.
• Also in double-figures for WMU on Saturday were Lamar Norman Jr. (19), Titus Wright (11) and Tafari Simms (10). 
• Norman is just eight points away from becoming the 45th player in WMU program history to record 1,000 career points. 
• Western Michigan and Miami meet for the 137th time on Tuesday evening.
• The RedHawks own an 86-50 lead in the all-time series, and hold a 53-12 record against the Broncos in Oxford.
• Miami has swept the season series each of the last two seasons.
• Western Michigan's last win in the series came on Feb. 4, 2020, in Oxford.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Western Michigan hits the road for both of its games this week, beginning on Tuesday night down in Oxford against Miami. The RedHawks are the final MAC opponent the Broncos have yet to face in 2022-23.

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of an 85-76 loss to Buffalo on Saturday afternoon at University Arena. Tray Maddox Jr. led Western Michigan with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists. Joining Maddox in double-figures were Lamar Norman Jr. (19), Titus Wright (11) and Tafari Simms (10). 

BALANCED BRONCOS
Tray Maddox Jr. (21), Lamar Norman Jr. (19), Titus Wright (11) and Tafari Simms (10) all scored in double-figures on Saturday, making it the eighth time this season that Western Michigan has had four or more players score 10 or more points in the same game. 

BENCH BOOST
Western Michigan got a huge lift from its bench on Saturday, as it held a 37-16 advantage in bench points. WMU has benefited from some big scoring outputs by its bench this season, with Tray Maddox Jr. becoming the third different Bronco to score 20 or more points off of the bench. Western Michigan has had seven different players score in double-figures off of the bench this season.

WMU VS MIAMI
Western Michigan and Miami meet for the 137th time on Tuesday night. The RedHawks own an 86-50 advantage in the all-time series, including a 53-12 mark in Oxford. Miami has swept the season series each of the last two seasons. WMU's most recent win in the series came on Feb. 4, 2020, at Millett Hall.

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Miami enters Tuesday's game having lost seven in a row. The RedHawks are led by Mekhi Lairy, who ranks seventh in the MAC at 17.7 points per game. Lairy is the conference leader and ranks fourth nationally in free throw percentage at 91.9 percent. As a team, Miami ranks 12th in the nation with a 76.9 percent free throw percentage.

CLEANING THE GLASS
After ranking near the bottom of the MAC in rebounding a season ago, WMU has turned things around to lead the league in rebounding margin (+6.7) and offensive rebounding (12.7), as well as rank second in the MAC in overall rebounding (38.2). Nationally, the Broncos are currently 17th in rebounding margin, 22nd in offensive rebounding and 40th in overall rebounding.

MAKING HIS MARK
Markeese Hastings enters the week second in the MAC in total rebounds (228, 21st nationally), rebounds per game (9.9, 16th) and defensive rebounds per game (7.0, 18th). Hastings had a career-high 20 rebounds on Jan. 6 at Toledo, one of 15 20-rebound games in DI this year and one of five 20-rebound games by a player from a mid-major conference. 

SCORIN' NORMAN
After tallying 19 points on Saturday, Lamar Norman Jr. has scored in double-figures in 48 of his 52 games as a Bronco. The senior has led WMU in scoring 37 times in his career, including 12 times this season. Norman is fifth in the MAC in scoring at 18.1 points per game and is eight points away from becoming the 45th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. 

LONG RANGE LAMAR
Lamar Norman Jr. is second in the MAC in both made three-pointers (66, 42nd nationally) and made three's per game (3.0, 25th).

THE WRIGHT STUFF
Titus Wright has scored in double-figures in four straight games, the longest stretch of his collegiate career. Wright has upped his scoring to 10.7 points per game in conference play, and ranks third in the MAC with a .604 field goal percentage.

382 AND COUNTING
WMU has made at least one three-pointer in 382 straight games dating back to 2011. 

HALFTIME LEADS TURN INTO W'S
The Broncos own a 54-21 record over the last five seasons when leading at halftime, including a 5-1 mark this season.

ON THE HORIZON
Western Michigan is on the road again on Saturday as it visits Northern Illinois.