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NOTES
KALAMAZOO -- David Kool scored 28 of his 33 points in the second half to lead Western Michigan to a comeback victory over Northern Illinois, 90-81, in front of 3,016 at University Arena on Wednesday night.
Kool made a career-high and Mid-American Conference season-high 16 free throws for the Broncos (14-12, 6-7 MAC), including 13-of-14 in the second half as the Broncos fought back from seven down against the Huskies (8-17, 4-9 MAC) early in the second half.
The game was tied, 66-66, for the eighth time with 5:40 to go after a three-pointer by NIU, but Kool made a steal off an inbounds pass in the backcourt and then completed a three-point play to spark a 7-0 run by the Broncos. Flenard Whitfield hit a jumper with 3:31 to go to put WMU up seven, 73-66.
The Broncos continued to pull away and Kool hit a step back jumper with 2:06 remaining to put the Broncos up nine, 77-68, and then WMU hit 13-of-16 free throws in the final 1:32 to hold off NIU.
Kool added four assists, three steals and two rebounds, while Whitfield had 16 points and five rebounds. Donald Lawson recorded his fifth double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Martelle McLemore added 12 points, seven rebounds and career-high four steals.
After Northern Illinois tied the score early, 5-5, the Broncos went on a 9-2 run to build a seven-point lead, 14-7, after Kool's three-point play off the fast break with 13:53 remaining in the game. NIU came back to cut the margin to a pair, 16-14, with 10:57 remaining, but then WMU scored six in a row on a tip-in by Donald Lawson, fast break pull-up three-pointer by Alex Wolf and free throw by Nate Hutcheson, 22-14, with 9:09 in the half.
Lawson scored inside on a feed from Kool with 7:27 to go to keep WMU up eight, 24-16, but then NIU rattled off eight straight, capped by back-to-back three-pointers by Xavier Silas, to tie the game, 24-24, with 4:26 to play. Kool made two freebies to put WMU on top, but NIU's run continued with a 9-2 spurt to build a five-point advantage, 33-28, with 1:27 to play.
After NIU scored with 11 ticks left to go back up five, Mike Douglas was fouled and hit two foul shots with six seconds left in the half to pull WMU within three, 35-32.
After starting fast, WMU cooled to shoot 35.7 percent (10-28) in the first half, but did convert 10-of-13 (.769) from the free throw line. The Huskies started slow, but heated up to finish shooting 40.7 percent (11-27), including 5-of-9 three-pointers, and made 8-of-9 free throws. The Broncos led on the glass, 23-13, which led to a 12-5 advantage in second-chance points. The Huskies countered by converting WMU's 10 turnovers into 12 points, while WMU scored nine points off seven NIU miscues.
The Broncos opened the second half with a steal by Douglas leading to a lay-up by Hutcheson to pull WMU within one, but then NIU scored six in a row to take its lead to seven, 41-34, with 18:50 left in the game. The Huskies continued to hold WMU off until Kool scored six points in a row with a lay-up and four free throws in a row to take the lead, 53-51, with 13:11 to play.
NIU re-took the lead on the next possession to start a stretch that saw four lead changes until Kool hit a three-pointer with 9:52 to play and then slid across the floor for the steal and threw the ball ahead to Whitfield for a monster two-handed slam to put WMU up three, 60-57, with 9:01 to go. NIU was able to salvage two more ties, but could never regain the lead.
The Broncos finished the game shooting 48.1 percent (26-54), including 16-of-26 (.615) in the second half, while also making 34-of-45 free throws (.756) and 24-of-32 (.750) in the second half.
The Broncos out-rebounded NIU, 40-28, and held a 16-15 lead in second-chance points. The Broncos had just two turnovers in the second half to out-score NIU, 16-0, in points off turnovers in the second half and 25-12 for the game. The Broncos also added 38 points in the paint and 18 fast break points.
NIU shot 43.9 percent (25-57), made 11-of-20 three-pointers (.550) and hit 20-of-27 free throws (.741). NIU turned the ball over 16 times.
Xavier Silas led NIU with 23 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block, while Sean Kowal had 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
The Broncos take a break from conference play to travel to Carbondale, Ill., and play Southern Illinois (14-12, 6-10 MVC) on Saturday at 3 p.m.
