DeKALB, Ill. -Western Michigan had four Broncos score in double figures against Northern Illinois but the road victory was more about the points that weren't on the board than those that were.  WMU, Nate Hutcheson for most defensive possessions, held the nation's second leading scorer 17 points under his season average in the Broncos 77-65 win at the NIU Convocation Center.

Hutcheson was designated to guard Xavier Silas, much as he was in the Broncos' first meeting against NIU on Jan. 22.  On that day, Silas scored 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting.  On Tuesday night, he didn't sink his second field goal until the 15:00 mark of the second half, finishes the game 3-for-8 for seven points before fouling out.

Western Michigan held the Huskies six points under their season average with only Nate Rucker and DeMarcus Grady reaching double figures.  The Broncos on the other hand had two players in double figures by halftime.  Demetrius Ward finished the first half with 12 points but didn't record his first field goal until there was only 4:25 remaining before the break.

Ward hit a jumper and then buried back-to-back three pointers.  His final field goal came off a behind the back bounce pass from Matt Stainbrook for a lay up as time ran out.  Ward also sank a pair of free throws to extend his streak to 35 straight even though he missed is first attempt of the second half to stop the streak six shy of David Kool's program record.  It is the ninth-straight game that Ward has scored in double figures, finishing with 15 points.

Also scoring in double figures in the first half for WMU was Flenard Whitfield.  The junior forward was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field for 11 points.  He added 10 rebounds by the end of the game for his second-straight double-double.

Mike Douglas was clicking on all cylinders against Northern Illinois.  He had nine points, four rebounds and five assists in the first half alone, finishing with a career high 16 points to go along with six rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

The Broncos were able to take control of the game over the final five minutes of the first half.  After two of lead changes and a pair of ties, the last coming after a jumper from Tim Toler at the 4:57 mark, Western Michigan went on a 14-2 run to close out the half.  Ward started the run with his first made jumper and three pointer of the game.  Juwan Howard Jr., who also finished in double figures with 12 points, added a jumper of his own at the 3:10 mark.  Ward scored the Broncos final final eight points on another three, a jumper and the lay up from Stainbrook, who finished with nine points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Western Michigan remains a half game ahead of Ball State for the Mid-American Conference West Division lead heading into a home stretch that will see the Broncos play three games over five days, beginning with the ESPN Bracket Buster against Illinois State at 2 p.m. on Feb. 19.