KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team takes on rival Central Michigan as part of a rivalry basketball doubleheader on Saturday at University Arena. The men's game is set to start at 6 pm or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game, whichever is later.
Note: Due to forecasted weather, Lot 13 will be open parking, with no permit required, on a first come, first served basis. Complimentary shuttles will begin at 2:30 pm from other designated lots. For parking maps and shuttle information, click
here.
GAME INFO
Matchup: Western Michigan (7-12, 1-6 MAC) vs Central Michigan (5-14, 1-6)
Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 24 – 6 pm
Site: University Arena (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
Tickets: wmubroncos.com/tickets
Video: ESPN+
Radio: Bronco Media Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
OPENING TIP
- Western Michigan wraps up its homestand on Saturday evening as it battles rival Central Michigan at University Arena.
- Saturday is a doubleheader with the WMU women's team, which also plays CMU.
- The Broncos are coming off of a 72-54 loss to Bowling Green on Tuesday night.
- Justice Williams paced Western Michigan in scoring for the third consecutive contest with 18 points.
- Max Burton came close to his second double-double of the campaign, collecting eight points and 10 rebounds.
- Western Michigan comes into Saturday's contest with a 95-60 lead in the all-time series with Central Michigan.
- The Chippewas have won four consecutive meetings between the two rivals.
- WMU's most recent victory in the series was an 81-65 triumph on March 3, 2023, at University Arena.
- The rematch between the two rivals is slated for Feb. 21 in Mount Pleasant.
RIVALRY RENEWED
Western Michigan and Central Michigan are set to clash in the first of two regular season meetings between the two rivals on Saturday evening at University Arena. The women's game between the Broncos and Chippewas tips at 3:30, with the men's contest slated to follow at approximately 6 pm.
LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of a 72-54 loss to Bowling Green on Tuesday night.
Justice Williams led Western Michigan in scoring for the third consecutive game with 18 points.
Max Burton nearly posted his second double-double of the campaign, tallying eight points and securing 10 rebounds.
JUST IN TIME
Justice Williams continued to lead the charge for the Brown and Gold on the offensive end on Tuesday against Bowling Green, netting a team-high 18 points, his third consecutive game topping WMU in scoring. The redshirt senior has been in double-figures in five of his first six games for the Broncos and been the leading scorer in four of those contests. In MAC play, Williams ranks fifth in the conference in scoring at 19.3 points per game.
BALANCED BRONCOS
Western Michigan has featured a balanced attack all season long, with 11 different Broncos having scored in double-figures at least once, and five having posted at least one game with 20 or more points. Leading the charge with 11 double-digit scoring performances apiece are
Jayden Brewer and
Jalen Griffith. Six different players have been WMU's top scorer in a game this season, led by Griffith, who has done so eight times.
BENCH BOOST
WMU's depth of scoring has led it to having one of the top bench units in the nation. Entering this weekend, the Brown and Gold rank second in the conference and 44th in NCAA Division I at 30.3 bench points per game. Nine different players have scored in double-figures in a game off of the Bronco bench, with
Jayden Brewer,
Jalen Griffith,
Brady Swartz (twice) and
Justice Williams all having posted a 20-plus point scoring performance off of the bench this season.
CLEANING THE GLASS
Always a strong suit under head coach
Dwayne Stephens, Western Michigan continues to rank among the best rebounding teams in the conference, coming into Saturday fourth in the league in overall rebounding at 37.4 per game.
Jayden Brewer has led WMU on the glass with 7.1 rebounds per game, seventh-most in the MAC, while
Max Burton's 6.1 rebounds per contest have him 12th in the conference. In league play, the Brown and Gold have upped their game on the offensive glass, going from averaging 10.9 offensive rebounds in non-conference action to 12.6, the second-most in the league, in MAC games.
GRIFF GETTING IT DONE
Jalen Griffith continues to fuel the Western Michigan offense, ranking 13th in the league among qualifiers at 14.8 points per contest and eighth in assists at 4.4 per game. The Navarro College transfer has been WMU's leading scorer in a team-high eight contests.
DIALING LONG DISTANCE
WMU enters Saturday having made at least one three-pointer in 474 straight games, dating back to the 2010-11 season.
SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan comes into Saturday's matchup with a 95-60 advantage in the all-time series between the two rivals. CMU has had the upperhand lately, winning each of the last four meetings. The most recent win in the series for the Broncos was an 81-65 Senior Night triumph over the Chippewas on March 3, 2023, at University Arena.
SCOUTING THE CHIPPEWAS
Central Michigan is coming off of a home loss to Ball State on Tuesday to dip to 1-6 in league play. As a team, the Chippewas lead the MAC at 4.3 blocks per game, with Nathan Claerbaut averaging a conference-high 1.7 blocks per contest and Nick Mullen sixth at 1.1 blocks per game. Claerbaut also leads CMU in both scoring (12.4 PPG) and rebounding (6.3 RPG), with his rebounding average ranked 10th in the MAC.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Western Michigan begins a three-game road stretch on Tuesday evening with a trip to DeKalb, Ill., to face NIU.
