KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team hits the road on Saturday afternoon as it visits SIUE.
GAME INFO
Matchup: Western Michigan (4-5) at SIUE (6-3)
Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 6 – 2 pm
Site: First Community Arena (Edwardsville, Ill.)
Video: ESPN+
Radio: Bronco Media Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
OPENING TIP
- Western Michigan hits the road on Saturday afternoon to face SIUE.
- It is the second consecutive game against a member of the OVC for WMU.
- The Broncos are coming off of an 88-74 win over Southern Indiana on Wednesday night at University Arena.
- WMU's offense set season highs in points (88), field goals (35), field goal percentage (54.7), three-pointers (10) and assists (18).
- Jayden Brewer tied his career high with 26 points and added 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.
- EJ Ryans tallied a career-high 14 points and Trey Lewis added 12 off of the bench.
- Lewis nearly had a double-double of his own, grabbing a career-high nine boards.
- Western Michigan and SIUE are meeting for the second consecutive season and third time overall.
- The Cougars have won each of the two prior meetings, including a 79-60 victory in last year's Bronco Classic in Kalamazoo.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Western Michigan continues its stretch of five out of seven on the road on Saturday afternoon as it visits SIUE. During this stretch of a little more than a month, the Broncos will have played just two home games, both of which were double-digit victories. The Brown and Gold are 4-1 at home, but are still looking for their first road win of the year.
LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of an 88-74 victory over Southern Indiana on Wednesday night at University Arena. WMU got off to a fast start, shooting 63.3 percent on the way to a season-high 47 first-half points.
Jayden Brewer posted his fourth double-double of the season, pacing the Brown and Gold with a career-high tying 26 points and 10 rebounds.
EJ Ryans tallied a career-high 14 points and
Trey Lewis nearly had a double-double of his own off of the bench, netting 12 points and a career-high nine rebounds.
OFFENSIVE ERUPTION
Western Michigan's offense had its biggest output of the season in Wednesday's victory over Southern Indiana. The Broncos set season highs in numerous categories, including points (88), field goals (35), field goal percentage (54.7), three-pointers (10), three-point percentage (43.5) and assists (18). WMU got contributions from up and down the lineup, with six different players contributing at least eight points and four tallying three or more assists.
LET JAYDEN BREW
Jayden Brewer went 10-for-14 and hit a career-high three, three-pointers to equal his career high with 26 points in Wednesday's win over USI. The senior also notched 10 rebounds to collect his fourth double-double of the campaign. Brewer is one of three MAC players to have at least four double-doubles already in 2025-26, joining Kent State's Delrecco Gillespie (9) and Eastern Michigan's Mohammad Habhab (5). Brewer ranks fifth in the league in rebounding at 7.6 per game and 14th in scoring at 14.4 points per contest.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
Western Michigan has won the rebounding battle in seven of its nine games this season, including owning a 41-33 edge on the glass in Wednesday's win over Southern Indiana. For the season, the Broncos rank third in the MAC at 38.2 rebounds per contest. WMU's leader on the glass all season long has been
Jayden Brewer, who posted 10 rebounds to grab his fourth double-double of the season in the victory over USI. The senior ranks fifth in the MAC at 7.6 rebounds per game, while
Max Burton is 12th in the league at 6.3.
BENCH BOOST
Western Michigan boasts one of the top benches in the MAC, averaging 30.2 bench points per game, the third-most in the conference. Five different Broncos have scored in double-figures off of the bench this season, including
Trey Lewis netting 12 points in Wednesday's win over USI. Before they were moved into the starting lineup, both
Jalen Griffith and
Brady Swartz had 20-point games off of 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.
DIALING LONG DISTANCE
Western Michigan enters Saturday having made at least one three-pointer in 464 straight games, dating back to the 2010-11 season. The Broncos hit a season-high 10 three-pointers and shot a season-best 43.5 percent from beyond the arc in Wednesday night's victory over Southern Indiana.
Brady Swartz has been WMU's top sharpshooter, hitting three-pointers at a 58.3 percent clip, the second-highest mark in the league.
WMU VS THE OVC
Saturday's game is the second consecutive for the Broncos against a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. 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 SIUE will be meeting for the second consecutive season and third time overall on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars have won each of the first two encounters, including a 79-60 victory at last year's Bronco Classic in Kalamazoo. This will be WMU's first-ever trip to Edwardsville.
THE ROAD AHEAD
After taking a week off for finals, the Broncos hit the road again next Sunday to visit Iowa.
