Preview: Undefeated Miami (Ohio) Hosts Western Michigan in MAC Showdown

OXFORD, Ohio (Interstat) — The unbeaten and surging Miami (Ohio) RedHawks put their perfect record on the line Tuesday night when they host the Western Michigan Broncos in a Mid-American Conference men’s basketball matchup at Millett Hall.

Miami (Ohio) (15-0, 1-0 MAC) is one of the nation’s remaining undefeated teams, coming off a hard-fought 76-73 home victory over Akron on Saturday. The RedHawks’ start is their best in program history.

The RedHawks are led by guard Brant Byers, who is averaging 18.1 points per game. He scored a season-high 26 points in the win over Akron and has been in double figures in every game this season. Forward Eian Elmer adds 12.9 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per contest.

Western Michigan (5-8, 0-1) enters looking to bounce back from a 79-84 loss at Toledo on Dec. 30 and snap a two-game skid. The Broncos have struggled on the road, going 1-6 away from Kalamazoo.

A key for the Broncos will be the play of forward Max Burton, who is averaging 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. In the loss to Toledo, Justice Williams led the team with 20 points.

Miami’s high-powered offense averages 92.1 points per game, ranking fourth nationally. Western Michigan allows 77.2 points per game on defense. The RedHawks also hold a significant rebounding edge, averaging 41.5 boards per game to the Broncos’ 33.8.

History favors the home team, as Miami has won the last five meetings. In their most recent matchup, the RedHawks defeated the Broncos 78-69 in Oxford last February.

Tuesday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. EST. Miami will look to continue its historic run, while Western Michigan aims to hand the RedHawks their first loss and secure a crucial conference road victory.