MUNCIE, Ind. - Despite outrebounding Ball State 36-30 and 18-9 on the offensive glass, Western Michigan fell to the Cardinals, 72-63, in front of 3,601 fans at the John E. Worthen Arena on Wednesday night.

Western Michigan jumped out to a nine-point lead at Ball State, scoring the game's first six points on a pair of Matt Stainbrook layups and a jumper.  The freshman made four of the Broncos' first six field goals and finished the game with his third double-double of the season on 14 points and 10 rebounds.

WMU built its lead on the strength of Stainbrook's play down low, key jumpers by Flenard Whitfield and Mike Douglas and the fact that Ball State could not find the range in the early going.  The Cardinals, who improved to 6-0 at home this season, did not sink a field goal until 5:02 minutes into the game, a Jesse Berry three pointer.  Unfortunately that shot was a glimpse of things to come.

Leading 16-7 at the 12:28 mark, BSU's Tyrae Robinson hit a jumper.  Jauwan Scaife hit a pair of three throws, two of 13 taken by Ball State in the first half, followed by a pair of Jarrod Jones jumpers sandwiched around a Pierre Sneed dunk. 

Nate Hutcheson scored on a layup at the 10:39 mark but it would be the last field goal WMU would manage until the 7:28 mark.  In the meantime Berry hit back-to-back threes and a free throw, his first giving Ball State its first lead of the game at 20-18.  He would hit one more to score 10-straight points for the home team.  Berry led three Cardinals in double figures with 15 points, followed by Scaife with 14 and Jones with 12.

Western Michigan, trailing by 12 at the break had what it wanted to open the second half.  Ball State was cold from the field again, not scoring its first field goal until the 14:31 mark, but the Broncos were only able to shave four points off the deficit during that span and Scaife's jumper put the Cardinals back up by 10.

WMU cut the deficit down to two possessions twice during the second half, once on a Caleb Dean jumper to make it 40-34 at the 13:07 mark, and again on a Whitfield free throw with 8:52 remaining in the game.  Whitfield, who led the Broncos with 15 points, and Douglas each stepped to the free throw line four times, making seven of the eight combined attempts to lead the team.  As a team, WMU made it to the line 14 times (11-for-14), 11 fewer attempts that Ball State had free throws made in the game (25-for-35).

The remainder of the game was played with Western Michigan at an arm's length away from Ball State as the Cardinals built the lead back to double digits six more times the rest of the way.

Douglas also scored in double figures, going 4-for-9 from the field and 4-for-4 from the line for 13 points, one shy of his career high.  It marked the 14^th time Western Michigan has had at least three players in double figures in the same game.

Western Michigan travels back to Kalamazoo to continue its first go-around through the Mid-American Conference's West Division when the Broncos welcome Eastern Michigan to University Arena at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 16.  Bronco Insider subscribers can follow live video, while everyone else can hear the action on the Bronco Radio Network.