TOLEDO, Ohio -Western Michigan's men's basketball team battled back from a poor-shooting first half and a not-so productive night at the free-throw line to cut a 16-point deficit down to a two-possession game with 5:44 remaining before eventually falling at Toledo, 73-60, on Wednesday night at Savage Arena.
WMU trailed by 14 points at the break after shooting 32.0 percent from the field in the first half. Demetrius Ward led the Broncos with eight points at halftime, going on to score a team-best 20 points. Toledo jumped out to a 16-point lead early in the second half but Western Michigan did not falter.
The Broncos chipped away at the Rockets' lead, getting it to 10 points on Muhammed Conteh's only field goal of the night. Ward hit one of four made three-point FGs to cut the deficit to seven points (42-35) with 14:17 to go. From there, Western Michigan hung around until the 7:36 mark. At that point Juwan Howard Jr. scored on a jumper to make it 53-45 in favor of Toledo. After a turnover and missed field goal by each team, Flenard Whitfield scored on a lay up to put WMU down by just six, 53-47 with 5:44 left in the game.
Whitfield, who had three points the entire first half, exploded for 12 points in the second to finish with 15. It is the 10th time this season he has scored in double figures and comes one game after being held without a field goal in a win against Eastern Michigan. Toledo's Hayden Humes, who finished with 19 points, missed one of his 16 free throw attempts on the night on a one-and-one opportunity.
Nate Hutcheson grabbed the rebound. It was one of a career-matching nine on the night for the Marion, Iowa, native. The ball found its way into the hands of Ward who launched a three from the right side. If it goes in, WMU is down by three points with five minutes to go and maybe Toledo waivers. It missed and from there the Rockets gradually built their lead back into double digits.
The Broncos crept back to within seven points once more during the game when Ward went 1-for-2 from the free throw line with 2:39 remaining. Western Michigan was 11-for-21 from the line on Wednesday while Toledo was 24-for-36. Malcom Griffin, Toledo's leading scorer with 22 points on 8-for-17 shooting, made the Rockets' last field goal of the game with 1:44 left to put the home team up by 10 at 61-51. That is when the processional to the foul line began for Toledo as it went it shot 16 free throws over the final 1:18 of game time, making 14 of those attempts.
Western Michigan must regroup as it welcomes Northern Illinois into University Arena on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m., for the final game against the Mid-American Conference's West Division before opening play against the MAC East at home versus Buffalo at 7 p.m. on Jan. 25. Both games can be heard on the Bronco Radio Network.
