KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team opens up Mid-American Conference play on Saturday afternoon against Buffalo.
GAME INFO
Matchup: Western Michigan (5-6, 0-0 MAC) vs Buffalo (9-2, 0-0)
Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 20 – 1 pm
Site: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
Tickets: wmubroncos.com/tickets
Video: ESPN+
Radio: Bronco Media Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
OPENING TIP
- Western Michigan begins Mid-American Conference play on Saturday afternoon as it welcomes Buffalo to University Arena.
- Saturday marks the lone regular season meeting between the Broncos and Bulls.
- Western Michigan is 4-6 in its last 10 MAC openers, but has won its first conference home game four of the last six years.
- WMU is coming off of a 91-51 loss to #23 Iowa on Sunday in Iowa City.
- Jalen Griffith and Carson Vis tied for the team lead with 11 points apiece.
- Jayden Brewer was also in double-figures with 10 points, and is now 35 points shy of 1,000 for his collegiate career.
- Buffalo holds a 23-16 advantage in the all-time series heading into Saturday.
- The Broncos have won three of the last four matchups between the two teams.
- The two programs split a pair last season, with each picking up a road win.
- UB's Daniel Freitag is the MAC's leading scorer at 20.6 points per game.
WELCOME TO #MACTION
Western Michigan opens up its Mid-American Conference schedule on Saturday afternoon as it welcomes Buffalo to University Arena. The Broncos are 4-6 in their last 10 MAC openers. WMU has won its first MAC home game in four of the last six seasons.
LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of a 91-51 loss at #23 Iowa last Sunday afternoon. After getting off to a slow start, Western Michigan played the Hawkeyes fairly evenly after halftime, only being outscored 39-35.
Jalen Griffith and
Carson Vis led the Brown and Gold with 11 points apiece, with Vis' 11 points tying his career high.
Jayden Brewer was also in double-figures with 10 for WMU.
GRIFF GETTING IT DONE
Jalen Griffith tied for the team lead with 11 points and handed out a team-high five assists on Sunday in Iowa City. The junior has been in double-figures six times so far this season and recorded five or more assists in five contests, including a career high 10 to record the first double-double of his collegiate career in the win at SIUE on Dec. 6. Griffith leads WMU in both categories, and ranks 10th in the MAC in scoring (15.8 PPG), fifth in assists (4.6 APG) and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4).
LET JAYDEN BREW
Jayden Brewer was in double-figures for the sixth time this season on Sunday, tallying 10 points against the 23rd-ranked Hawkeyes. The FIU transfer has been a key addition for the Broncos this season, ranking second on the team and 18th in the conference in scoring at 13.6 points per game, and also leading the Brown and Gold and ranking sixth in the league in rebounding at 7.2 per contest. After Sunday's game, Brewer is sitting on 965 career points, 35 shy of 1,000 for his collegiate career.
CLEANING THE GLASS
Rebounding has been a hallmark for Western Michigan in the four years under head coach
Dwayne Stephens, and that has continued so far in 2025-26, with the Brown and Gold winning the rebounding battle in eight of their 11 games. The Broncos grabbed 16 offensive rebounds on Sunday at Iowa, their second-highest total of the season, and are back up to third overall in the league in rebounding at 37.8 per game.
B'S ON THE BOARDS
The duo of
Jayden Brewer and
Max Burton has played a key role in Western Michigan's success on the glass this season. Brewer is sixth in the MAC at 7.2 rebounds per game, while Burton ranks 10th at 6.2 per contest. Conference newcomer UMass is the only other team in the league to boast two of the MAC's top-10 rebounders.
BALANCED BRONCOS
Western Michigan has featured a balanced offensive attack this season, with eight different players having scored in double-figures at least once, and four having a game of at least 20 points. Leading the charge with six double-digit scoring games apiece are
Jayden Brewer,
Jalen Griffith and
Trey Lewis.
DIALING LONG DISTANCE
The Broncos enter Saturday having made at least one three-pointer in 466 straight games, dating back to the 2010-11 season.
Brady Swartz has been the top sharpshooter in the MAC, hitting three-pointers at a league-leading 51.9 percent clip.
SERIES HISTORY
Buffalo heads into Saturday's contest with a 23-16 advantage in the all-time series between the two programs. Western Michigan has won three of the last four matchups. The Broncos and Bulls split last season's two meetings, with each winning on the other's home floor. Saturday is scheduled to be the only meeting between WMU and UB during the 2025-26 regular season.
SCOUTING THE BULLS
Buffalo enters Saturday with a 9-2 mark in non-conference play. The Bulls feature the MAC's leading scorer in Daniel Freitag, who is averaging 20.6 points per game. The second-best free throwing shooting team in the MAC at 75.2 percent, UB has the top-two free throw shooters in Angelo Brizzi (91.8 percent) and Ryan Sabol (88.9 percent).
ON THE HORIZON
WMU continues its two-game homestand on Monday against Defiance College.
