Box Score
Season Stats
KALAMAZOO ? Andre Ricks scored a career-high 29 points to help his head coach, Steve Hawkins, win his 200th career game in Western Michigan's 84-73 defeat of San Diego State in front of 3,218 fans at University Arena Saturday afternoon.
San Diego State (8-1) came into Kalamazoo ranked 34th in the AP Poll and 27th in the coaches poll, but Western Michigan (3-4) shattered its hopes of a 9-0 start.
In a close game that featured nine lead changes, the Broncos were able take the lead for the final time, 69-67, with 3:44 remaining in the second half on a jump shot by Ricks. WMU proceeded to sink 10 free throws during a 17-7 run to close out the game.
WMU was able to turn 22 turnovers into 21 points, and also set a University Arena team record with 16 steals. Andrew Hershberger set a new career high with four steals to go along with his seven points and season-high 10 rebounds. SDSU started out hot from three-point range sinking six-of-11 in the first half, but the WMU perimeter defense stepped up in the second half and held the Aztecs to just 2-for-10 from deep.
Junior center Joe Reitz was the only other Bronco to score in double figures. Reitz finished with 18 points and seven rebounds. Freshman guard David Kool set new career highs with nine points and four rebounds.
Western Michigan shot 58 percent from the field in the first half which helped them to a 44-39 lead at the half. WMU's 44 points were the most they have scored in the first half of any game so far this season. The Broncos were also careful with the ball, committing only 12 turnovers. Sophomore point guard Mike Redell finished with six assists and zero turnovers to go along with his seven points.
San Diego State got off to a hot start, thanks to the shooting of Mohamed Abukar and Brandon Heath, who combined to score the team's first 16 points. SDSU had their largest lead of the game at the 15:44 mark of the first half, 16-8. Abukar led the Aztecs with 17 points, while Jerome Habel contributed 14 points and a team-high 7 rebounds. Heath finished with 13 points, nine below his 24 points per game scoring average in road games, and Richie Williams finished with 12.
WMU sophomore guard Andre Ricks
(On the game)
"Our team was tough and they were a tough team, it's a good win for us and we needed that win."
(On his 29 points)
"I used my quickness and my teammates did a good job of looking for me. That s what it took to get the win. It s not really a big thing tome because I just wanted the win. I just happened to hit shots today. My confidence is definitely building."
WMU junior center Joe Reitz
(On the game)
"San Diego State is a tremendous team. They re probably the toughest offensive team we ll see all year. They ve got a lot of great players. Coming in we knew we had to defend them as a team. We competed really hard. I just thought our defense and our toughness really paved the way for us to win today."
(On Andre Ricks)
"Andre has just done a complete 180 in the past two weeks. No one s happier to see it than me. He s the toughest kid on the court every night. When he plays with that kind of energy and that kind of enthusiasm, even though he s a little guy, he is a great player."
WMU head coach Steve Hawkins
(On the game)
"Obviously it s a great win for us. You re talking about a team that was undefeated coming in here. It was a great win for us. The big picture part of things is that we got back to playing Bronco Basketball. Defensively, we were able to get it across to our kids what we needed to do to be successful on the court. We forced them into 22 turnovers. The big picture is what I m more excited about today, of what we could be and what we re growing towards is to me the real story and has me more excited about things more than just the win against San Diego State although in and of itself that s quite an accomplishment."
(On Andre Ricks)
"He can get it going. Sometimes it s really good to just get the ball in Dre s hands with a favorable matchup and say everybody else get ready because the ball is probably going up and he got it going today. With every game, with every repetition that he gets out there he gains more confidence. Dre s offense is huge for us because it allows us to organize our defense."
