KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team continues its season-opening homestand on Thursday night as it hosts Northwood. 
 

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (1-0) vs Northwood (0-0)

Date/Time: Thursday, Nov. 6 – 7 pm

Site: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)

Tickets: wmubroncos.com/tickets

Video: ESPN+

Radio: Bronco Media Network

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

OPENING TIP

• Western Michigan continues its season-opening homestand on Thursday night as it entertains Northwood.
• WMU opened the season with a 76-71 win over Coastal Carolina on Monday. 
• A total of 10 different Broncos scored in Monday night's victory.
• Jalen Griffith scored all of his team-leading 15 points after halftime.
• Max Burton racked up 14 points, a career-high seven assists and six rebounds.
• Jayden Brewer approached a double-double with nine points and eight boards.
• As a team, Western Michigan went 28-for-35 (.800) from the free throw line.
• Thursday's game is an exhibition contest for Northwood, which begins its regular season on Nov. 14 against Ferris State.
• The Timberwolves were picked to finish 11th in the G-MAC preseason poll.
• The two teams have met just once prior to Thursday, with WMU claiming an 88-59 victory back on Nov. 11, 2017.

HOME SWEET HOME
After beginning its 2025-26 season with a home win over Coastal Carolina on Monday night, Western Michigan continues its season-opening homestand on Thursday night against Northwood. 

LAST TIME OUT
WMU opened up its 2025-26 campaign with a 76-71 victory over Coastal Carolina on Monday night in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. It was the first-ever win for the Brown and Gold in the challenge, which is in its third season. Three Broncos scored in double-figures, led by Jalen Griffith, who scored all 15 of his points after halftime. Max Burton and Trey Lewis tallied 14 points apiece, and Jayden Brewer came close to a double-double with nine points and a team-leading eight rebounds. 

GRIFFITH'S SECOND-HALF SURGE
Navarro College transfer Jalen Griffith led the Broncos in his debut on Monday night with a team-high 15 points. After being held scoreless in the first half, the junior got rolling after the intermission, going 5-for-8 from the field and 5-for-6 from the foul line to net his career-high 15 points. After making a few big buckets down the stretch, Griffith made all four of his free throw attempts in the final minute to help WMU put the game on ice.  

TAKE IT TO THE MAX
The only returning Bronco to have played in all 32 games last season, Max Burton filled up the stats sheet on Opening Night, tallying 14 points, a career-high seven assists and six rebounds. Only NIU's Gianni Cobb had more assists on Opening Night around the MAC than the WMU big man. Burton also went a career-best 6-for-6 at the charity stripe and had a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays, including one to put the Brown and Gold ahead for good with 2:50 to play.

WHAT A DEBUT FOR J-BREW
FIU transfer Jayden Brewer made his presence felt in the win against Coastal Carolina, nearly posting the third double-double of his collegiate career (9 points, 8 rebounds). Like Griffith, Brewer did not score in the first half, but went 7-for-8 from the free throw line after the intermission to help the Broncos come out on top. 

BRAND NEW BRONCOS
Entering the season, 12 of the 15 players on WMU's roster had yet to see the floor in a regular season game for the Brown and Gold. Eight players made their debuts for the Broncos in Monday's victory, including the starting trio of Jayden Brewer, Trey Lewis and Hudson Ward. Jalen Griffith and Declan Peterson came off of the bench for Western Michigan, as did the freshman trio of Sharod Barnes, Brady Swartz and Carson Vis, who all made their collegiate debuts. 

BALANCED BRONCOS
Western Michigan got contributions from up and down the lineup in Monday's victory over Coastal Carolina. All 11 players who saw the floor contributed at least one rebound, and 10 of the 11 got onto the scoresheet. Of the 10 who scored, seven of those contributed at least five points to the WMU tally. 

GETTING TO THE LINE
The Broncos attacked the basket all night on Monday and were rewarded with 35 free throw attempts, their most since taking 41 shots from the charity stripe in a Jan. 14 win at Kent State last season. Led by Jayden Brewer (7-of-8) and Max Burton (6-of-6), Western Michigan took advantage of its 35 free throws, making 28 (80.0 percent). WMU finished at the bottom of the conference in free throw shooting last season (67.2 percent), and made more than 75.0 percent or more of its free throws just four times during the 2024-25 campaign. 

DIALING LONG DISTANCE
WMU comes into Thursday night having made at least one three-pointer in 456 straight games, dating back to the 2010-11 season. Trey Lewis paced the Broncos from distance in the opener with a pair of triples.

SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan and Northwood have met just once prior to Thursday night's contest. The previous meeting between the Broncos and the Timberwolves was an 88-59 WMU victory back on Nov. 25, 2017.

THE ROAD AHEAD
Western Michigan hits the road for the first time this season on Sunday as it travels down to North Carolina to face Campbell.