WMU vs. BGSU - Postgame Notes

Pregame

• The Broncos enters today's contests with a 16-26 record all-time in the MAC Tournament, dating back to the 1980-81 season.  However, under coach Steve Hawkins, the Broncos are 9-6 in the MAC Tournament.
• WMU is 10-1 against Bowling Green since Coach Hawkins became head coach in 2004; however, the Broncos are just 1-2 against the Falcons in the MAC Tournament in that time.
• The Broncos came out on top against the Falcons in the first meeting of the season, winning 75-61 on Feb. 5.
• The Broncos boast the reigning MAC West Player of the Week in Mike Douglas; the junior guard averaged 26.5 points, 4.5 assists, four rebounds, and 1.5 steals in WMU's wins over Ball State and Central Michigan.
• The last time these teams met, the Broncos heated up from the foul line in a big way, shooting 16-of-17 (.941) from the charity stripe.  Junior guard Demetrius Ward was a perfect 8-of-8 from the foul line.  Juwan Howard Jr. was 5-of-6 from the line in scoring a team-high 20 points.
• WMU is 2-2 this season in games played in the state of Ohio.

First Half

• The Broncos opened the game on an 12-4 run, showcasing a stifling defensive effort early on and forcing a BG timeout at 16:48.  WMU was buoyed by Demetrius Ward, who hit 3's on back-to-back possessions to prompt the timeout, and hit a third straight trey to make it 12-4.
• The Broncos are outscoring the Falcons 6-0 in fast break points, both off Ward 3's.  The Broncos also have the advantage in points off turnovers; they are outscoring the Falcons 11-2 in that category.
• At the 7:52 mark, Ward leads all scorers with nine points in the game.  Matt Stainbrook ranks second in the game with five points, and has also been effective in drawing fouls down low.
• BG's A'uston Calhoun cut the WMU lead to 20-17 with a three, but the Broncos responded with a 10-0 run that included a pair of buckets from Flenard Whitfield and was capped with a three from Alex Wolf.
• Long-range was good to the Broncos in the first half; they shot 5-of-10 from three-point range in the first half to account for nearly half their points.
• The Broncos led by as many as 13 points in the first half, going up 30-17 at one point, but the Falcons closed the half on a 9-3 run to cut the lead to just 33-26.  WMU was held scoreless for the last 3:57 of the first half.

Second Half

• It may have taken him a while, but reigning MAC West Player of the Week Mike Douglas hit a crucial bucket at the beginning of the second half.  On his first attempt of the game, Douglas drained a three-pointer to push the Bronco lead back into double digits, making it 41-30.
• Whitfield was the first Broncos player of the game to reach double-digits in scoring; he hit a free throw at 15:42 to reach 10 points.
• With buckets on consecutive possessions from Nate Hutcheson and Muhammed Conteh, the Broncos built their biggest lead of the afternoon.  WMU led 48-32 at the 10:36 mark of the second half, indicating a 15-6 run since the start of the second half.