GAME NOTES: Two of the top teams in the Mid-American Conference will collide this evening as the Western Michigan Broncos will host the Akron Zips at University Arena. The Zips pushed their overall record to 16-5 with a convincing, 80-61 win over Eastern Michigan this past weekend. With the victory, the Zips are now 6-2 in league play and are currently tied for the East Division lead with Kent State and Ohio. As for the Broncos, they have won five of their last six games, including two in a row. The last time WMU was on the court, the team grabbed a strong, 64-50 victory over Bowling Green. Because of the recent streak, the Broncos are now 6-2 in conference action, and are on top of the West Division standings. WMU is a mediocre 12-9 on the year, but at home the team has a strong 7-1 mark. The Zips have won four consecutive matchups against Western Michigan. However, the Broncos still hold a slim 16-15 edge in the all-time series.

The Zips are an extremely balanced team and head into this matchup averaging 73.4 ppg, while limiting opponents to only 62.6 ppg. Jeremiah Wood has been outstanding for Akron, and is netting 13.9 ppg to go along with a team-high 8.0 rpg. Nick Dials is the only other player producing double-figures for Akron, as the guard is contributing 12.6 ppg, and is also dishing out a team-best 4.5 apg. The last time the Zips were on the court the team grabbed an impressive 19-point win over Eastern Michigan. In the win, Akron shot 44.4 percent from the floor and made 12-of-26 attempts from behind the arc. Nate Linhart led the way with 12 points in the contest, while Wood added 10 points to go along with 11 rebounds. As for Dials, he also posted 10 points and dished out seven assists as well.

Center Joe Reitz is the top performer for the Broncos, and comes into this game averaging 15.5 ppg, while also collecting a team-high 7.6 rpg. David Kool is the only other player netting double figures for WMU, as the guard is chipping in 14.9 ppg. As a whole, the Broncos are producing 70.8 ppg, while shooting a mediocre 43.3 percent from the floor. The last time the Broncos were on the floor the team only scored 64 points, but it was enough to slip past Bowling Green by a 14-point margin. Reitz led the way in the win with 21 points and also grabbed nine rebounds. Andre Ricks added 10 points for WMU, while Kool finished with just seven points and five rebounds.

The Broncos have played well over the past few weeks, but the team will need to improve offensively if it plans on defeating Akron. The Zips are tough defensively, and will likely put up enough points to slip past WMU.