KALAMAZOO, Mich. – After a thrilling buzzer-beating victory at Ball State on Saturday, the Western Michigan men's basketball team looks to punch its ticket to the MAC Tournament on Tuesday as it welcomes Bowling Green to University Arena.
 

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (11-19, 8-9 MAC) vs Akron (21-9, 13-4)

Date/Time: Tuesday, March 5 – 7 pm

Site: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)

Tickets: wmubroncos.com/tickets

Video: CBS Sports Network

Radio: Bronco Media Network

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

OPENING TIP

• Western Michigan celebrates Senior Night on Friday as it welcomes Akron to University Arena for the regular season finale.
• WMU is set to honor Anthony Crump, Alika Edmonds, B. Artis White and Titus Wright during the pregame ceremony.
• Friday's game on CBSSN marks the first nationally televised home game for Western Michigan in over six years.
• The Broncos can punch their ticket to the MAC Tournament with a win, a Kent State win, or a Ball State loss.
• WMU is looking to reach the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2019-20.
• Western Michigan is coming off of a 73-65 loss to Bowling Green on Tuesday.
• Anthony Crump posted his third double-double on Tuesday (10 points, 10 boards).
• Akron holds a 39-21 advantage in the all-time series, including taking this season's first meeting, 77-66, on Jan. 16.
• WMU owns a 14-11 all-time mark against the Zips in Kalamazoo.

SENIOR NIGHT
Western Michigan closes out the regular season on Friday night as it hosts Akron at University Arena. Friday night is Senior Night for the Broncos, who will honor Anthony Crump, Alika Edmonds, B. Artis White and Titus Wright during a pregame ceremony.

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Friday's contest between the Broncos and Zips will be aired nationally on CBS Sports Network, Western Michigan's first nationally televised home game since the Jan. 19, 2018 game against Buffalo was on ESPNU. WMU fell to the Bulls in that contest, 84-74.

WIN AND YOU'RE IN
Western Michigan can clinch a berth in next week's MAC Tournament with a victory over Akron on Friday night. The Broncos can also make their way to Cleveland with a Ball State loss at Bowling Green, or a Kent State win at Toledo. WMU is looking to return to the MAC Tournament for the first time since the 2019-20 season and reach Cleveland for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign.

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of a 73-65 home loss to Bowling Green on Tuesday night. Seth Hubbard paced the Brown and Gold with 12 points for the evening, while Anthony Crump tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. 

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Anthony Crump registered 10 points and 10 rebounds on Tuesday night against BGSU, his team-leading third double-double of the season. Western Michigan has six double-doubles this season, with two by Owen Lobsinger and one from Javonte Brown. 

CLEANING THE GLASS
Led by Anthony Crump (9th, 6.3) and Owen Lobsinger (10th, 6.2), Western Michigan ranks second in the MAC in overall rebounding (37.7), third in rebounding margin (+2.6) and leads the conference in offensive rebounding (12.6). The 12.6 offensive rebounds per game rank 31st in NCAA DI. Crump and Lobsinger have helped the Broncos take things up a notch in league play, as WMU sits atop the MAC in both total rebounds (38.8) and offensive boards (12.9), while ranking second in rebounding margin (+4.2). 

SHARING IS CARING
WMU boasts one of the top distribution combos in the conference in B. Artis White, who is sixth at 3.3 assists per contest, and Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro, who is eighth at 3.2. In MAC play, White has bumped up to 3.6 helpers per game (6th), while De La Cruz Monegro's 3.3 assists are seventh-most. In assist-to-turnover ratio, De La Cruz Monegro is third at 1.66, while White is in fifth at 1.61. 

DIALING LONG DISTANCE
Western Michigan is the lone team in the conference to have three players in the top-15 in made three-pointers. Seth Hubbard is fourth at 2.3 per game, B. Artis White's 2.0 per game are 10th and Owen Lobsinger is in 15th at 1.6 per contest. Lobsinger is also ninth in the MAC with a .386 three-point percentage. WMU has made at least one three-pointer in 421 straight games dating back to 2011. 

CLIMBING THE LADDER
With his three triples on Tuesday against BGSU, B. Artis White moved into fifth in WMU's record book with 183 in his career. He is three behind former teammate Lamar Norman Jr. for fourth on the all-time list. 

SERIES HISTORY
Akron enters Friday's matchup with a 39-21 lead in the all-time series between the two programs, including a 77-66 win on its home floor back on Jan. 16. Western Michigan has had the upperhand at home, as it holds a 14-11 edge against the Zips in Kalamazoo. 

WHEN LAST WE MET
The Broncos and Zips were both 4-0 in conference play at the time of this season's first meeting back on Jan. 16 at James A. Rhodes Arena. Western Michigan took a two-point lead into the locker room at halftime, but Akron used 10-2 and 14-4 runs in the second half to pick up the 77-66 victory. Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro went 7-for-9 from the field to lead WMU with 17 points on the night, while Javonte Brown and JaVaughn Hannah each had 10 off the bench.