KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team takes a break from conference play this weekend as it heads down to Hattiesburg, Miss., to take on Southern Miss in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. 
 

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (8-15) at Southern Miss (13-11)

Date/Time: Saturday, Feb. 10 – 2 pm

Site: Reed Green Coliseum (Hattiesburg, Miss.)

Video: ESPN+

Radio: Bronco Media Network

Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 

OPENING TIP

• Western Michigan steps outside of MAC play on Saturday to face Southern Miss in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge.
• Overall, the MAC went 7-5 against the SBC in the first wave of games in November.
• WMU fell to Georgia State, 77-70, in the first game of the challenge back on Nov. 11 at University Arena.
• Southern Miss lost at Akron, 72-54, on Nov. 10 in its first game of the challenge.
• The Broncos are coming off of a 63-61 loss at Kent State on Tuesday evening.
• Javonte Brown led WMU with 14 points, while JaVaughn Hannah and Owen Lobsinger tallied 12 points apiece.
• WMU won the rebounding battle 34-26, with Anthony Crump pulling down a season-high 12 boards to lead the way.
• Saturday marks just the second-ever meeting between WMU and USM.
• The Golden Eagles came out on top, 77-61, in Hattiesburg in the only prior meeting between the two on Dec. 15, 1952.

 
BATTLE FOR THE BELT
Western Michigan continues its three-game road trip on Saturday afternoon as it visits Southern Miss in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. Both the Broncos and Golden Eagles lost in the first wave of games back in November, with WMU falling at home to Georgia State and USM losing at Akron. The MAC won seven of the 12 matchups in this season's first wave of games.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Despite holding Kent State well below its season average, the Broncos slipped to their fourth consecutive defeat on Tuesday, losing a 63-61 decision in Kent, Ohio. Javonte Brown paced Western Michigan with 14 points, while JaVaughn Hannah and Owen Lobsinger contributed 12 points apiece.
 
HANNAH HEATING UP
Making his third straight start on Tuesday night, sophomore guard JaVaughn Hannah netted 12 points at Kent State. The Mount Clemens, Mich., native has scored in double-figures in each of those three starts and six of the last eight games overall. During this stretch, Hannah is averaging 11.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
 
CRUMP CRASHES THE BOARDS
Anthony Crump led the Broncos in rebounding for the third straight game and eighth time overall on Tuesday as he secured a season-high 12 against KSU. The graduate student forward has climbed his way into eighth in the league at 6.4 boards per game.
 
CLEANING THE GLASS
Led by the efforts of Crump and Owen Lobsinger, who is 10th in the conference at 6.1 rebounds per game, Western Michigan sits atop the MAC in both offensive rebounding (12.5/game) and offensive rebounding percentage (.346). The Broncos are also second in the league in both overall rebounding (37.6) and rebounding margin (+3.3).
 
SHARING IS CARING
Western Michigan enters the weekend ranking fourth in the conference in assists per game at 13.8. The backcourt duo of Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro and B. Artis White has led the way for the Brown and Gold, with De La Cruz Monegro handing out four or more in six straight games to climb up to sixth in the MAC at 3.4 per contest and White right on his heels in eighth at 3.2. The two are both in the top-4 in assist-to-turnover ratio as well, with White third (1.73) and De La Cruz Monegro right behind in fourth (1.68).
 
DIALING LONG DISTANCE
Led by Seth Hubbard's 2.4 three-pointers per game, second-most in the MAC, Western Michigan is fifth in the league with 7.8 triples per contest. Owen Lobsinger has been WMU's most efficient three-point shooter, as he's hitting 38.4 percent for the season, 14th-best in the conference. The Broncos have made at least one three-pointer in 414 consecutive games dating back to 2011.
 
WMU VS THE SUN BELT
Outside of former MAC member Marshall, Western Michigan has played just 11 games against current Sun Belt teams in its history. The Broncos are 5-6 against current SBC foes, with the most recent contest the 77-70 loss to Georgia State earlier this season in Kalamazoo. WMU's last victory over a Sun Belt squad was an 86-67 neutral site victory over Appalachian State on Nov. 17, 2017.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan and Southern Miss have met just once prior to Saturday's encounter, with the Golden Eagles coming out on top, 77-61, in Hattiesburg back on Dec. 15, 1952.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Southern Miss ended a three-game slide on Wednesday night with a 78-73 home victory over Old Dominion. The victory put USM into a tie with Marshall for fifth in the Sun Belt Conference standings at 7-5 in league play. Senior guard Austin Crowley leads the Golden Eagles in scoring and ranks fifth in the league at 16.2 points per game. He is also eighth in the conference in assists (3.2) and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4).
 
THE ROAD AHEAD
Western Michigan wraps up its three-game road swing next Saturday night as it travels up to Mount Pleasant to face rival CMU.