KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team returns to University Arena on Wednesday evening to begin the month of December against Southern Indiana.
GAME INFO
Matchup: Western Michigan (3-5) vs Southern Indiana (3-5)
Date/Time: Wednesday, Dec. 3 – 7 pm
Site: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
Tickets: wmubroncos.com/tickets
Video: ESPN+
Radio: Bronco Media Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
OPENING TIP
- Western Michigan returns to University Arena on Wednesday night to take on Southern Indiana.
- It is the first of two straight games for the Broncos against members of the OVC.
- WMU is 3-1 at home, with each of the last two home wins coming by double-digits.
- The Broncos are coming off of an 84-55 loss at Valparaiso on Saturday.
- Trey Lewis came off of the bench to lead the team with 13 points.
- Jalen Griffith nearly had his first career double-double, tallying nine points and handing out a career-high nine assists.
- Brady Swartz comes into Wednesday night leading the conference in three-point shooting at 58.3 percent.
- Wednesday's game marks just the second all-time meeting between Western Michigan and Southern Indiana.
- The only prior meeting between the two came back on Dec. 6, 1982, with USI claiming the victory in four overtimes.
HOME SWEET HOME
Western Michigan returns to University Arena on Wednesday night to host Southern Indiana. The Broncos are 3-1 at home so far in 2025-26, with each of their last two home wins by double-digits. WMU is in the midst of a stretch of five out of seven on the road, with Wednesday's contest serving as just the second home game in the span of a little more than a month for the Brown and Gold.
LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of an 84-55 loss at Valparaiso on Saturday afternoon.
Trey Lewis came off of the bench to net a team-leading 13 points, while
Jalen Griffith nearly posted the first double-double of his collegiate career with nine points and a career-high nine assists.
GIVING GRIFF
Jalen Griffith nearly posted the first double-double of his collegiate career on Saturday, netting nine points to go along with a career-high nine assists. The nine assists were the most by a Bronco since Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro handed out nine on Jan. 27, 2024, against Central Michigan. Griffith's nine assists moved him into the league's top-10, with his 3.9 per contest tied for eighth in the MAC. The junior is also now 10th in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.45. Scoring wise, Griffith remains in the top-10 as well, ranking eighth in the MAC at 15.7 points per game.
SIZZLIN' SWARTZ
Freshman
Brady Swartz continued the hot-shooting start to his Western Michigan career on Saturday, including making both of his three-point attempts. The Grand Rapids native is shooting 55.8 percent overall from the field, and is atop the MAC on three's, hitting 58.3 percent from beyond the arc.
BENCH BOOST
Western Michigan boasts one of the top benches in the MAC, averaging 30.8 bench points per game, the fourth-most in the conference. Five different Broncos have scored in double-figures off of the bench this season, including
Trey Lewis netting a team-high 13 points on Saturday at Valparaiso. Before they were moved into the starting lineup, both
Jalen Griffith and
Brady Swartz had 20-point games off the bench, with Swartz doing so twice.
Declan Peterson and
Carson Vis have also scored in double-figures off of the bench this season for WMU.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
Western Michigan has won the rebounding battle in six of its first eight games this season. The Broncos have been led on the glass by
Jayden Brewer's 7.3 boards per contest, which ranks seventh in the league.
Max Burton is second on the team at 6.1 per game, which is just outside of the league's top-10.
DIALING LONG DISTANCE
WMU enters Wednesday having made at least one three-pointer in 463 straight games, dating back to the 2010-11 season.
WMU VS THE OVC
Wednesday's contest is the first of back-to-back games against teams from the Ohio Valley Conference for the Broncos, who are slated to visit SIUE on Saturday afternoon. Until meeting SIUE as part of the Bronco Classic last year, Western Michigan had not met a member of the OVC since defeating Tennessee State, 83-72, on Nov. 11, 2013, to win the 2013 Outrigger Hotel and Resorts Rainbow Classic.
SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan and Southern Indiana have met just once prior to Wednesday night's contest, with the Screaming Eagles coming to Kalamazoo and claiming a 101-99 four-overtime victory on Dec. 6, 1982.
SCOUTING THE SCREAMING EAGLES
Southern Indiana enters Wednesday night's contest having won its last two games, defeating Valparaiso last week and Kentucky State over the weekend. USI boasts the OVC's leading scorer and leading rebounder, with Ismail Habib pacing the conference in scoring at 19.0 points per game, and Tolu Samuels leading the league in rebounding at 8.9 per contest.
THE ROAD AHEAD
The Broncos head out on the road for their next two contests, starting on Saturday afternoon with a visit to SIUE.
