Pokes Prepare for MAC Match Up Against Western Michigan

The Western Michigan Broncos are coming to Stillwater for a non-conference showdown

STILLWATER -- Oklahoma State looks to continue their winning streak to start the season as Western Michigan comes to town for an 8:00 p.m. tip Friday night.

This is the first ever meeting between the two programs, and it promises to be a good one.

Through their first five games of the season, the Broncos are 4-1 and are currently ranked No. 20 in the country in scoring with 88.2 points per game. They also lead the nation in made free throws with 129, as well as free throws attempted with 169.

“They’re really good. They play really fast,” said head coach Mike Boynton. “They score a lot of points, and they do something that we’ve struggled at so far, which is they get to the free-throw line at a pretty high rate. We’ve fouled at a pretty high rate. We’ve gotta kinda find a better balance in order to keep the pace of the game where we want it, but we can’t do it if they’re shooting free throws every possession.”

WMU is led by junior guard Michael Flowers, who's averaging 21.4 points per game on a 49 percent clip. He's also one of three players that's averaging double-digit points for the Broncos. Freshman point guard B. Artis White is averaging 10.8 points per game, while redshirt junior forward Brandon Johnson is averaging 16.4 points on 49 percent shooting. Johnson is also bringing down 8.6 rebounds per game.

This is the last home game for Oklahoma State for a few weeks as they'll be heading to Brooklyn for the NIT Season Tip-Off.

“It’s important for us that we get better," said coach Boynton. "No matter what the day is. We have to have a great practice today. We found a way to win on Sunday with a not-so-great shooting night. I still don’t also feel like we necessarily approached the game the right way or prepared as well as we’re capable of. So I’m looking forward to seeing us approach this game a little bit better, have a better, more mature mentality.

“Whatever happens in the outcome of the game happens. As long as we play the game the right way, as long as I feel like we prepare for the next two days to get ready for a really good team, then I’ll feel good about the results.”

Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22 and will be broadcasted on ESPN+. Oklahoma State will be looking to start the season 5-0 for the first time since the 2014-15 season under Travis Ford.