WMU Heads to Oxford on Saturday for a Showdown with Miami
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan women’s basketball team finishes the week off with a road bout against the Miami RedHawks on Jan. 22. Tip-off in Oxford, Ohio on Saturday afternoon is set for 1 p.m.
WHERE TO WATCH
Saturday’s matchup between the Broncos and RedHawks will be available for streaming via ESPN3. The link to the stream is listed above, and can also be found HERE.
RESEARCH ON THE REDHAWKS (6-7, 2-2 MAC)
Miami preps to host Western Michigan after taking care of business in their last matchup, beating Northern Illinois at home by a final score of 61-56. The RedHawks scored the game’s final six points to secure their second conference victory of the season.
Three MU players finished in double digits, led by freshmen guard Ivy Wolf, who finished with 18 points on 6-14 from the field (42.9 percent), six rebounds, and four assists during her 36 minutes on the court. Fellow freshman guard Maddi Cluse added all 15 of her points in the second half, shooting 6-12 and grabbing a pair of boards while also notching five takeaways. Junior guard Peyton Scott added 10 points of her own on 3-8 shooting to go along with four rebounds in the contest.
So far this season, the RedHawks as a collective average 68.7 points on 41.8 percent shooting each time they take the floor, while allowing 68.5 PPG for a scoring margin of +0.2. Miami shoots at a rate of 29.0 percent from behind the arc, and 70.3 percent from the charity stripe for 6.7 made three-point attempts and 7.8 made free throws per game.
On the boards, the RedHawks pull down 39.5 RPG and post a rebounding margin of +3.7 while holding the third place spot in the MAC for rebounding defense, allowing 35.85 opponent rebounds per outing. Miami also currently fits in at third place conference-wide in steals, averaging 10.38 takeaways per game, which trails WMU by just 0.24 SPG. The RedHawks have been fueled this season by Peyton Scott, who gives her team 17.7 PPG on 44.8 percent from the field, 6.4 boards, and 4.1 assists each time she takes the floor.
BREAKING DOWN THE BRONCOS (9-4, 3-1 MAC)
Western Michigan enters Oxford on Saturday fresh off of their second consecutive MAC road victory, holding off Eastern Michigan this past Wednesday by a final tally of 62-57. A strong effort on defense and focus from the free throw line gave WMU some separation to hang on for the win.
Four Broncos finished in double figures at EMU, fore fronted by sophomore guard Lauren Ross, who finished with her second double-double of the year and a game-high 21 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Ross also went a perfect 10-10 from the foul line, including six successful tries in the fourth quarter alone.
Sophomore guard Megan Wagner added a season-high 12 points on an efficient 4-9 shooting, as well as four rebounds and three assists while playing every minute for Western Michigan. Redshirt senior forward Reilly Jacobson and junior guard Sydney Shafer each contributed 10 points respectively as well, with Jacobson also pulling down a trio of rebounds.
As a team, Western Michigan averages 67.8 PPG on 42.0 percent shooting thus far, while limiting opponents to just 59.31 PPG for a scoring margin of +8.54. The Broncos rank second in the conference in scoring defense, and fourth in scoring margin to this point in the season. WMU also shoots at 29.4 percent from deep and 70.2 percent from the charity stripe, averaging 6.5 made threes and 11.6 made free throws each time out.
The Broncos are led by Lauren Ross, who averages 20.8 PPG at a clip of 49.2 percent, while also grabbing 6.4 RPG and sinking 83.3 percent of her attempts from the free throw stripe. Ross is currently third in the MAC and 11th in the nation in scoring, while also ranking fourth in the conference in field goal percentage, and first in FG percentage among MAC sophomores.
ON THE HORIZON
Following Saturday’s game against Miami, the Broncos continue their road stretch by traveling to Bowling Green for a mid-week matchup with the Falcons on Jan. 26. Tip-off in Falcon country is set for 7 p.m.
#LetsRide
