Although most Ohio fans are familiar with the historical rivalry with Miami, the team also has a long-standing tradition against Western Michigan, despite not playing in the same division, as Wednesday will mark the teams’ 125th meeting.
The Bobcats lead the all-time series, but the Broncos boast a 40-18 record when playing at home.
However, Ohio went 2-0 against Western Michigan last season, narrowly escaping Kalamazoo, Mich. with a 61-59 victory before defeating the Broncos again in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
“(Western Michigan is) a tough environment,” said senior forward T.J. Hall. “It’s pretty small, but there’s a lot of people in there. They play hard every night so they’re a pretty tough-nosed team, they’re pretty physical, so it’s just hard to beat them in their gym.”
Western Michigan is one the top teams in the MAC, as it sits second in the West Division behind Toledo and is 8-2 at home with wins against Oakland and Cornell.
David Brown, a redshirt senior guard for the Broncos, paces the conference with 18.4 points per contest, while senior center Shayne Whittington is a formidable opponent in the post, averaging 8.8 rebounds and 14.6 points per game.
“We’ve just go to play (Brown) one-on-one great,” Hall said. “Great one-on-one defense with him, when he comes off the ball screens, be there hedge-hard and don’t let him get going.“
Coach Jim Christian said Brown’s versatility is an aspect that makes him an offensive threat.
“He’s one of the really good scorers of the league,” Christian said. “So I think it’s one of those every possession, especially late in the game at home, you can’t let him get off to a great hot start. If he starts hitting shots then you can’t stop him.”
One of the strengths of the Bobcats’ squad this season has been their ability to play well on the road regardless of the deficit.
Though they have struggled with early-on offense away from The Convo, the Bobcats have been able to right the ship in the second half, having won three consecutive games in addition to their five-game winning streak against MAC West foes.
Ohio junior forward Maurice Ndour, who was named the MAC East player of the week on Monday, said the team has to stay at an even keel, especially after winning against Toledo.
“There’s really no pressure,” Ndour said. “We’ve just got to get back to work and do what we do everyday, and come back to practice and just try to work on that offense.“
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