GAME NOTES: The sixth-seeded Western Michigan Broncos and 11th-seeded Ohio University Bobcats will meet in first-round action of the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Monday evening at University Arena.

The winner here will move into the second round on Wednesday and take on either Northern Illinois or Akron.

Saul Phillips' first season at the helm of the Ohio basketball program has come with some tough lessons. The Bobcats finished at a disappointing 10-19 overall and were in the basement of the MAC's East Division at a mere 5-13. The team was able to end the regular season on a strong note, routing Miami- Ohio, 95-65, to end a seven-game losing streak. Ohio has the most tourney wins with 39 in all and has won six tournament titles, with the last coming in 2012.

The Dean of MAC coaches, Steve Hawkins is in his 12th season in charge of Western Michigan. The Broncos won 19 games during the regular season and finished in third place in the West Division with a 10-8 league ledger. WMU enters the postseason after closing out with three wins in its last four games. The Broncos won the tournament title last season, their second all- time.

These teams met just once during the regular season, an 80-69 win for Western Michigan at home.

Despite the team's struggles in conference play, Ohio does possess some offensive talent. The Bobcats come into the postseason averaging a decent 67.4 ppg behind the potent one-two punch of Maurice Ndour and Javarez Willis, two of the MAC's top-10 scorers. The 6-9 Ndour ranks fourth in the league in scoring at 15.6 ppg and third in rebounding (8.2 rpg) while the 5-11 Willis is ninth at 15.0 ppg, while serving as the team's top distributor (3.1 apg). The senior guard is the team's top sniper as well, shooting .404 from behind the arc with a team-high 86 3-pointers to his credit. Sophomore forward Antonio Campbell (10.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg) is another valuable contributor along the front line.

Western Michigan has the firepower to counter anything Ohio does at the offensive end of the floor. The Broncos are an extremely efficient squad, knocking down 46.7 percent from the floor, leading to a solid 71.5 ppg.

The team's scoring depth is apparent with four Broncos entering postseason play with double-digit scoring averages. The best of the bunch is David Brown at 15.1 ppg. The most versatile however, is Connar Tava, who is netting 12.8 ppg, while leading the team in rebounding (6.3 rpg) and assists (3.5 apg). Tucker Haymond (12.4 ppg) and Austin Richie (10.4 ppg) round out a potent quartet for WMU.

The Broncos took care of the Bobcats earlier in the season. It could be a similar scenario for both teams here, as Western Michigan is likely to deliver at home once again and advance in the tournament.