BOX SCORE
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KALAMAZOO -- Shawntes Gary tied for game-high honors with 15 points, while Donald Lawson set a career-high with 11 rebounds for the second game in a row, but Western Michigan fell to Green Bay, 61-51, in front of the largest crowd this season at University Arena, 3,306, on Tuesday night.
The Broncos (3-10) also received 12 points, five rebounds and four assists from David Kool, but he struggled to just 4-of-19 shooting, while Lawson added eight points to go with his game-high rebounding total. Kool moved into 23rd in career scoring with 1,073 points, as he passed Tony Baumgardt, Harold Gensichen and Sean Wightman on the all-time list.
The Phoenix (9-4) held WMU to just 34.6 percent shooting (18-52), including 7-of-25 (.280) in the second half. The Broncos also connected on only 6-of-18 three-pointers (.333), while Green Bay hit 9-of-20 three-pointers (.450). The Broncos held the Phoenix to just 36.7 percent shooting overall (22-60).
Green Bay also benefited from forcing 16 turnovers, 12 in the first half, to outscore WMU, 14-5, in points off turnovers, and 9-0 in fast break points. The Phoenix also outrebounded the Broncos, 40-33, including 16 offensive rebounds that led to a 13-10 edge in second-chance points.
Gary hit a free throw with 13:16 remaining in the game to even the score for the fourth time, 38-38, but the Phoenix answered with sophomore Bryquis Perine who scored all 10 points during a 10-2 run that put UWGB up eight, 48-40, with 9:59 to play. A free throw by Redell and a step-back three-pointer by Kool pulled WMU back to within four, 48-44, and then Gary hit two free throws to make it a four-point game again, 50-46, with 7:11 to play.
That was as close as the Broncos would get the rest of the way as Green Bay scored four in a row to go back up eight, 54-46, with 4:47 to play.
An offensive putback by Flenard Whitfield and three-pointer by Martelle McLemore off a feed from Kool put WMU up five, 7-2, in the early going, but Green Bay got back in the game with a 9-0 run to go up four, 11-7, with 13:09 to play. The runs continued as the Broncos got four-straight points from Derek Drews, a three-pointer by Mike Douglas and four points by Shawntes Gary as part of 15-4 run to go back up by seven, 22-15, with 3:56 to play in the first half after a reverse lay-in by Lawson off a feed from Whitfield.
Green Bay started to heat up after that as Ryan Tillema hit four long jumpers, including two trifectas, and Terry Evans dunked off a steal by Troy Cotton to put Green Bay up four, 29-25, with 25 seconds to play after an 11-0 run over 3:04. Gary hit a three-pointer off the dribble to end the half with WMU down only one, 29-28.
The Broncos took the lead to open the second half as Kool found a wide-open Lawson for a two-handed stuff, but Green Bay scored nine-straight on a trio of three-pointers to go back up eight, 38-30, only 2:03 into the half. The Broncos came back with an 8-0 run of their own as Drews converted a three-point play, Lawson scored on a layup from Gary, who scored the next three points to set up Green Bay's decisive run.
Perine scored a career-high 15 points with three assists, while Tillema also connected for 15 points with three assists for the Phoenix.
The Broncos are off until Jan. 11 when they open Mid-American Conference play at Central Michigan at 6 p.m. Call the basketball office (269) 387-3608 to reserve a spot on the Fast Break Club Bus Trip to Mt. Pleasant for the MAC opener for both teams.
