KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Western Michigan men's basketball team snapped its season-opening six-game losing streak in a big way on Wednesday, defeating the Hope Flying Dutchmen 80-58 in the 2011 home opener at University Arena. With the win, the Broncos improve to 1-6 overall, while Hope falls to 4-1 with the loss.
In the process, the Broncos' Flenard Whitfield made a part of WMU history when he became the 35th member of the 1,000-point Club at Western Michigan. Whitfield officially hit the mark with 3:11 remaining in the first half, draining a pair of free throws to give the Broncos a 37-19 lead. Whitfield finished the game with 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting; he added a game-high 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
Sophomore Matt Stainbrook finished one point shy of his third 20-point game of the season, notching 19 points and eight rebounds. Austin Richie recorded his first career double-digit scoring game in his first career start, adding 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
The Broncos began the game on a 12-4 run, with Stainbrook bullying the Flying Dutchmen down low with 10 of the first 12 Bronco points. WMU held the Dutchmen to just two field goals over the course of the first 5:35, and would induce another five-minute drought moments later as part of a 15-3 run for the Broncos. The Broncos built on their lead when Whitfield threw down a two-handed dunk to give his team a 25-9 lead, and Richie would expand the lead to 17 points with a three-pointer at the 8:43 mark.
The Broncos established their biggest lead of the night at the 7:45 mark when Whitfield struck again, this time with a two-handed reverse dunk to make it 32-11. Shayne Whittington would score as time expired in the half, laying one off the glass to give WMU a 41-25 lead.
The Broncos kept the heat on in the second half, never allowing the Flying Dutchmen to get within 10 points at any time in the final stanza. Hope's Nate VanArendonk would make it as close as it would be for the rest of the game when he hit a jumper in the paint at the 18:47 mark, cutting the Broncos' lead to 43-31.
Stainbrook responded with buckets on consecutive possessions, including a three-pointer from the head of the key, to spark a 15-6 run for WMU. Richie would collect an offensive rebound and lay it in at 16:38, his tenth point of the night, and Demetrius Ward would push the lead to 21 points with a pair of free throws at the 15:25 mark to make it 56-35.
Ward would eventually set the Broncos' biggest lead of the night with a jumper at the 13:04 mark, making it 58-36. Senior center Caleb Dean maintained that lead and set the final score of the night with a lay-up with 2:01 remaining, giving WMU an 80-58 lead which stood as the final difference.
David Brown made his first start of the season, recording a season-high nine points to go with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Whittington finished with six rebounds.
