GAME #9 • Sunday, Dec. 13 • 2 p.m. Western Michigan (3-5) vs. Illinois-Chicago (1-6)
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich. Site:University Arena (5,421) All-Time Series: WMU leads UIC, 4-3 Radio: WQXC, 100.9 F.M. - Kory Lee (play-by-play), Click here to listen online Live Stats:Click Here Web Streaming: Bronco Insider
HOME SWEET HOME After playing seven of its first eight contests on the road, including the last five in a row, Western Michigan gladly returns to the friendly confines of University Arena for a three-game stretch. The Broncos begin the homestand Sunday, Dec. 13, against Illinois-Chicago at 2 p.m. Saint Louis (Dec. 19) and Washington (Dec. 22) also visit Kalamazoo before the holiday break. AT UNIVERSITY ARENA WMU is 1-0 at home this season, defeating Loyola-Chicago in overtime, 87-80, on Nov. 19. Schedule-wise, Western Michigan plays 29 regular season games, 12 of which are home, and faces opponents from the ACC, Atlantic 10, Big EAST, Big Ten and PAC-10. LAST TIME OUT In its last outing, Western Michigan couldn’t find a rhythm, shooting a season-low 29.2 percent on the road at Eastern Illinois in a 66-58 loss Wednesday night. Taylor Manley paced the Broncos with 18 points. Brenna Banktson was the only other player in double figures for Western Michigan with 11 points. Miame Giden finished with nine points and seven rebounds. MANLEY GOES AGAINST FORMER TEAM Junior guard Taylor Manley will be squaring off against her former team Sunday. Manley played her freshman season at Illinois-Chicago where she played in 29 games, starting 16, and averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. She spent last year at John A. Logan College of the junior college ranks before transferring to WMU this year.
MIAME JOINS 500 CLUB With her 10th point against Pitt last Saturday (Dec. 5), sophomore Miame Giden reached 500 career points. She went on to lead the game with 23. She collected her first Mid-American Conference Player of the Week award on Nov. 30 after scoring a career-high 31 points in a road win at Southern Illinois (Nov. 25). It was the most points scored by a Bronco in over two seasons, since All-American Carrie Moore dropped 34 against Miami (OH) on March 4, 2007. Coincidentally, the two share the same jersey number - #33.
AGAINST THE LAND OF LINCOLN The Broncos are 3-1 in 2009-10 against teams from the state of Illinois coming into today’s game, WMU plays six schools, seven games, against universities from Illinois this season. The Broncos face three teams from Chicago alone (Loyola-Chicago, Chicago State and Illinois-Chicago) and three directional schools (Southern Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Northern Illinois).
The Flames return all five starters and nine of its 13 letterwinners from its 2008-09 campaign, in which it went 14-16 overall and 8-10 in the Horizon League. Illinois-Chicago is off to a 1-6 start in 2009-10, its only win at home against Niagara, 77-59. UIC’s season-opening loss came at the hands of Mid-American Conference counterpart Eastern Michigan, 61-49, in Chicago. Other losses have included nationally ranked Dayton, top 25 vote-receiving DePaul, Minnesota, Colorado and Bradley.
UIC is led by 5-8 senior guard Jessie Wilcox, averaging 13.1 ppg and a team-high 21 assists and 16 steals. She is third on the team in rebounding with 4.9 boards per game. Others to look out for are 5-8 sophomore guard Jasmine Bailey (9.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and 6-2 senior center Cassie Johnson (7.9 ppg. 6.3 rpg).
As a team, the Flames average 57.0 ppg and are allowing opponents 70.9 ppg. UIC is shooting 33.8 percent from the field and 27.5 from three-point range. Miller has made 14 of the team’s 30 three’s this season. Taylor Foulks is also a three-point threat with nine.
Courtesy: Nicole Watkins
