DEKALB, Ill. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking to reverse difficult starts to conference play will meet Wednesday when the Western Michigan Broncos visit the Northern Illinois Huskies in a Mid-American Conference women’s basketball matchup.

The game at the Convocation Center pits Western Michigan (5-11, 2-3 MAC) against Northern Illinois (3-14, 1-4 MAC). Both squads enter on losing streaks, with the Broncos dropping three straight and the Huskies having lost four of their last five.

Western Michigan is led by guard Kailey Starks, who has been a consistent offensive bright spot. She is averaging 15.0 points per game in MAC play, including a 19-point performance in a 78-57 loss to Ball State last Saturday. Over her last six games, Starks has scored in double figures each time, highlighted by a 20-point effort against Bowling Green on Jan. 14.

Northern Illinois will counter with guard Nadechka Laccen, who leads the team in playmaking. She is coming off a 15-point, 7-assist performance in a narrow 66-62 loss at Ohio on Saturday. Laccen has dished out 20 assists over her last five contests and will be central to the Huskies’ offensive execution.

The Broncos’ conference wins came against Buffalo (83-65) and Akron (55-48) earlier this month. Northern Illinois’ lone MAC victory was a 64-58 win at Buffalo on Jan. 7, a game in which Laccen scored 12 points.

Defensive struggles have plagued both teams. Western Michigan has allowed an average of 66.2 points in MAC games, while Northern Illinois has conceded 70.2 points per game in the same span. The team that can establish defensive consistency may find an edge in this matchup.

Following this contest, Western Michigan will host Central Michigan on Saturday. Northern Illinois hits the road to face Eastern Michigan the same day.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST Wednesday.