Box Score
Season Stats
MT. PLEASANT, Mich. ? Brian Snider hit his only three-pointer of the game with 2:52 remaining in double overtime to break a 69-all deadlock and Western Michigan hit 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to defeat Central Michigan, 75-71, in double overtime. The Broncos (8-11, 5-4 MAC) increased the longest current winning streak in the Mid-American Conference to four games and snapped a string where they had lost in six of their last seven trips to Rose Arena. In fact, the Brown & Gold have now won two of the last three meetings at CMU.
“It's another one to go down in the Central-Western rivalry annals,” head coach Steve Hawkins said. “Either team could have given in on more than one occasion and neither team did. Fortunately for us we made some plays down the stretch, but I thought both teams did a terrific job.”
Joe Reitz led four Broncos in double figures with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Snider added 14 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals.
The Chippewas (3-15, 1-9 MAC) led by four, 60-56, with 3:05 remaining after an old-fashioned three-point play by Giordan Watson capped an 8-0 run. CMU had a chance to push the lead to six or more on the next possession, but Stane's Bufford stole the ball near midcourt and was intentionally fouled on his way in for a dunk. Bufford hit one free throw and Snider hit a jumper on the ensuing possession to pull the Broncos within one.
Central Michigan pushed the lead back to two on a Chris Kellerman free throw before Brian Snider sent the game into overtime with a running bank shot with six seconds remaining, 61-61.
“I just wanted to attack, get to the basket, make the shot or get to the free throw line,” Snider said. “I thought we showed great poise down the stretch. We had some things that didn't go our way, but we didn't let it rattle us.”
“We've got some kids that really, really care about what they are doing,” Hawkins said. “It's a high-integrity, high-character group. A month ago I don't know if we win this game. The losing early bothered them and they've really worked on it, gotten better and matured.”
Only four points combined were scored in the first overtime. WMU took an early lead on an Andrew Hershberger jumper, but didn't score for the final 4:37. Central Michigan was unable to take advantage by hitting only 2-of-6 free throws in the first extra session. WMU had a chance to win after a Snider steal with :19 remaining, but he missed an off-balance jumper at the horn.
The Chippewas scored the first basket of the second overtime, but the Broncos responded with a three-point play from Joe Reitz and a Bufford free throw to go up by two. Central Michigan tied the score on the next possession and then tied it again moments later after Reitz had given the Broncos another lead before WMU took the lead for good on Snider's three-pointer.
“I think we're really starting to play well as a team and we're really starting to believe in each other,” Reitz said. “In the last two to three weeks we've really grown up as a team and we're really starting to come together chemistry wise.”
CMU jumped out to a nine-point lead, 15-6, less than seven minutes into the game. The Broncos steadily climbed back and used a 9-0 run over 3:39 to turn a four-point deficit into a five-point lead, 24-19, with 6:17 remaining in the half. Central Michigan scored the next five to tie the game, but WMU took a four-point lead into the locker room on a Derek Fracalossi three-pointer with three seconds left in the half, 33-29.
The Broncos took a game-high six-point lead on a Hershberger jumper 16 seconds into the second half. Central Michigan responded and came back as the second half saw three ties and five lead changes before going into the extra session.
Central Michigan outshot Western Michigan (48.2 percent to 36.6 percent), but the Broncos attempted 15 extra shots because of a 13-8 advantage in offensive rebounds and nine less turnovers (22-13). Western Michigan also hit 19-of-28 free throws, 10-of-13 in the second half and overtime, to overcome less than 40 percent shooting.
Bufford and Hershberger each added 10 points for WMU. Freshmen Shawntes Gary and Andre Ricks combined for 16 points with nine and seven, respectively.
Watson led all scorers with 22 points for the Chippewas followed by Sefton Barrett with 15, Justin Blevins with 11 and Kellerman with 10.
The Broncos return home on Wednesday night looking for their fifth win in a row. WMU will host MAC West Preseason favorite Toledo (10-8, 3-7 MAC) at 7 p.m. in University Arena.
