DETROIT, Mich. - Senior point guard
Mike Douglas scored a career high 33 points and the Western Michigan men's basketball team controlled the second half, but the Broncos were unable to complete the comeback in falling 92-81 to the Detroit Titans at Calihan Hall on Thursday. With the loss, the Broncos fall to 1-7 overall.
Douglas shot 10-of-19 from the field and went a sterling 13-of-14 from the free throw line, effectively keeping the Titans on their heels by driving to the hoop. Also reaching double digits in scoring was Demetrius Ward, who finished with 19 points after draining four three-pointers in the second half. Nate Hutcheson (11) and Flenard Whitfield (10) also finished the game with double-digit points.
Douglas scored 18 of his 33 points in the second half, where the Broncos outscored the Titans 42-31. WMU opened the second half on a 7-0 run and held Detroit without a field goal for a seven-minute stretch late in the second half, taking off on a 15-4 run that cut the Titans' lead to nine points.
Douglas hit a pair of free throws with 3:22 remaining to make the score 84-75. The teams would trade baskets on the next two possessions, with Douglas scoring on a lay-up to make it 86-77. Douglas would score the final eight points of the game for the Broncos, but Detroit was able to pull away and seal the victory.
The Titans controlled the tempo early in the first half, hitting nearly 64 percent of their shots from the field in opening up a big lead on the Broncos. The Broncos shot 42 percent from the field themselves, but were unable to keep up with the streaking Titans. Douglas, playing in his hometown for the final time in his career, took the offense in his own hands and scored a game-high 15 points in the first half, including 5-of-9 shooting and a perfect 5-for-5 mark from the free throw line. However, the Titans were able to keep the Broncos at bay, and ultimately went into the locker room at half leading by a score of 61-39.
The Broncos will next be in action on Sunday, Dec. 11 when they host Southern Illinois at University Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. Toys for Tots will be at the game collecting toys prior to and during the game.
