KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan University's men's basketball used a hot-shooting first half and tight defense to earn a 68-56 victory over Toledo in front of 2,777 fans at University Arena Wednesday night.
The Broncos led by as many as 38 in the first half and were able to withstand a scrappy Rocket comeback effort to improve to 16-11 overall and 8-5 in the MAC. Ten players scored for the Broncos, paced by Demetrius Ward with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three-point range. It was the 12th consecutive game in which Ward has reached double figures. Juwan Howard Jr. added 14 points, while Flenard Whitfield contributed 11 points and six rebounds to the winning effort. Tight Bronco defense held the Rockets to 39.1 percent shooting (18-of-49), including a stretch of 13:10 without a field goal in the first half.
Four Rockets reached double figures, led by Hayden Humes with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting. The loss was the tenth in a row for Toledo, which fell to 4-24 overall and 1-12 in MAC play.
A 25-0 run by WMU over a span of 6:45 in the first half opened up a 28-point lead. Whitfield started the run with an emphatic two-fisted slam off a Mike Douglas feed on a fast break. From there, hot shooting helped the Broncos take a 38-point lead, 43-5, with 4:40 to play in the half. Eight Broncos scored in the first half, with Ward leading the way with 13 points. Overall, the Broncos shot 65.4 percent from the field (17-of-26) in the half, including 7-of-13 from three-point range. Douglas was key in distributing the ball to the Bronco shooters, dishing out six of his nine assists before the break.
The Bronco bench played a big role offensively in the first half, scoring 22 points. In addition to Howard's 14 points, Alex Wolf (6), Brandon Pokley (3), Muhammed Conteh (2) and Dan Loney (2) provided a scoring spark off the bench and helped WMU hold a 27-15 overall advantage in bench points.
WMU also played its best defensive half of the season in the first half, holding the Rockets to 5-of-21 shooting (23.8 percent). The five field goals allowed were the fewest allowed by WMU in any half this season, with the Rockets being held without a field goal for a span of 13:10. The Broncos also forced 12 Rocket turnovers in the half, with Douglas leading the pressure with three steals.
Toledo went on a 15-5 run to open the second half and increased intensity on the defensive end by the Rockets helped hold WMU without a field goal for 10:59. The Rockets cut the Bronco lead to as little as 12 with 3:10 to play, but free throw shooting and a couple defensive stops kept Toledo from getting any closer. The Broncos shot just 4-of-17 in the second half (23.5 percent) on their way to a 48.8 percent (21-of-43) effort on the night.
WMU will continue its final swing through the Mid-American Conference West with a trip to Ypsilanti for a match up with Eastern Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 27. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. with live coverage being provided by the Bronco Radio Network.
Whitfield Dunk vs. Toledo
