November 29, 2022

GAME NOTES

https://wmubroncos.com/documents/2022/11/29/WMU_MBB_Game_Notes_at_Dayton_113022.pdf

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men’s basketball team closes out its busy month of November on Wednesday evening as it travels down to Dayton to take on the Flyers. 

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (2-5) at Dayton (3-4)

Date/Time: Wednesday, Nov. 30 – 7 pm

Site: UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)

Radio: Bronco Media Network

OPENING TIP

• Western Michigan hits the road again on Wednesday evening as it travels down to Dayton to face the Flyers.
• Wednesday’s game wraps up WMU’s stretch of six of the season’s first eight games being away from Kalamazoo. 
• The Broncos are coming off of a 71-49 home loss to Cleveland State on Saturday.
• Lamar Norman Jr. led WMU in scoring for the fifth consecutive game with 13 points.
• The reigning MAC scoring champion, Norman once again leads the conference in scoring at 21.7 points per game.
• Norman’s scoring average currently ranks eighth in the nation. 
• He also leads the MAC and is sixth in the nation in made three’s per game (3.7).
• Wednesday marks the third all-time meeting between WMU and Dayton.
• The Flyers have won each of the prior two meetings between the two programs.
• The most recent meeting was an 85-72 Dayton win at UD Arena on Dec. 19, 2018.  

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Following a home loss to Cleveland State on Saturday, Western Michigan heads back out on the road on Wednesday as it visits Dayton. Wednesday’s game closes out a stretch for WMU which saw it start the season with six of its first eight games away from home. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of a 71-49 loss to Cleveland State on Saturday. The Vikings used a 9-0 run to grab the lead in the opening few minutes and never looked back. Lamar Norman Jr. led Western Michigan in scoring for the fifth consecutive contest, as the senior netted 13 points. 

THE WRIGHT STUFF
Titus Wright went a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor for eight points and secured a team-high six rebounds for WMU on Saturday. For the season, the junior leads the MAC with a 63.8 field goal percentage and is also 10th in rebounding at 6.4 per contest. 

WMU VS DAYTON
Wednesday marks the third all-time meeting between Western Michigan and Dayton. The Flyers have hosted and won the prior two meetings, with the most recent an 85-72 decision on Dec. 19, 2018 at UD Arena.  

SCOUTING THE FLYERS
Ranked in the preseason top-25, Dayton has dropped three in a row after going 0-3 against Wisconsin, NC State and BYU at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. Toumani Camara and DaRon Holmes II have formed a strong combination in the front court for the Flyers, with Camara leading the Atlantic 10 in rebounding (10.0) and Holmes sitting atop the conference in blocks (2.1). 

SCORIN’ NORMAN
After leading the MAC in scoring last season, Lamar Norman Jr. has picked up right where he left off, as he once again finds himself at the top of the conference, averaging 21.7 points per game. Since arriving from Duquesne prior to last season, Norman has scored in double-figures in 35 of his 37 games as a Bronco, and led Western Michigan in scoring 31 times. 

LONG-RANGE LAMAR
In addition to leading the conference in scoring at 21.7 points per game, Lamar Norman Jr. also sits atop the MAC with 3.7 made three-pointers per game. His 3.7 per game average ranks sixth in the nation, while his 26 made triples is third-most in the country.

IN THE GIVING SPIRIT
Lamar Norman Jr. has been the top distributor for the Broncos as well thus far in 2022-23, handing out 3.0 assists per game, which is tied for eighth in the conference. The senior guard is also sixth in the MAC with a 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. 

CLEANING THE GLASS
After finishing near the bottom of the conference in rebounding a year ago, the Broncos have turned things around on the glass thus far in 2022-23, winning the rebounding battle in five of their first seven games. Western Michigan sits atop the MAC in rebounding margin (+7.1) and ranks second in the league in both total rebounds per game (38.3) and offensive rebounding (11.7). 

MAKING HIS MARK
Markeese Hastings has been a key part of WMU’s success on the glass, as the Grand Rapids, Mich., native has reeled in double-digit rebounds four times so far this season. Hastings is fifth in the MAC in rebounding (7.4) and ninth in offensive rebounding (2.1).

CLOSING OUT NOVEMBER
Wednesday’s game is the eighth and final game of the season’s opening month for the Broncos. November is the second-busiest month of the season for WMU, who will play nine times in the month of January. 

367 AND COUNTING
WMU has made at least one three-pointer in 367 straight games dating back to 2011. 

HALFTIME LEADS TURN INTO W’S
WMU owns a 51-20 record over the last five seasons when leading going into halftime.

ON THE HORIZON
WMU returns to University Arena on Monday, Dec. 5, to face Concordia Ann Arbor. 

COURTESY WESTERN MICHIGAN ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS