Men's Basketball March 11, 2011 WMU

WMU vs. Akron: Post-Game Notes

Pregame Notes:

Western Michigan trails Akron 17-20 in the all-time series between the two teams, with the last Broncos win coming on February 6, 2008. The Broncos are 1-4 against the Zips on a neutral court, including a 1-3 record in MAC Tournament play. The sole victory for the Broncos came on March 10, 2005, a 66-60 overtime win.
The last time these teams squared off was February 9, which ended as an 83-71 victory for the Zips at Rhodes Arena in Akron despite 20+ point efforts from WMU's Demetrius Ward (26) and Flenard Whitfield (23). The Zips shot 48 percent from the field and saw four players reach double-digits in scoring.
WMU's 67-56 win over Bowling Green in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament extended the Broncos' longest win streak of the season to five games, and was the fifth stsraight game in which the Broncos outscored their opponents by double digits. The average margin of victory for WMU in that span is 16.0 points per game.
Flenard Whitfield returned to the line-up against Bowling Green on March 10 after missing one game but showed no signs of rust. The junior recorded 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds to register his seventh career double-double, his fourth of the 2010-11 season.
In the Broncos' win over Bowling Green, Demetrius Ward registered MAC Tournament career highs in points (14), rebounds (6), and three-pointers made (3).
Under Coach Steve Hawkins, the Broncos have shown an uncanny ability to seal a win after 20 minutes of play; since Hawkins took over in the 2003-04 season, the Broncos are 106-34 when leading at the half, and are 15-4 in such games this season.

First Half Notes

The Zips controlled the action through the first media timeout, nailing their first three three-pointers and shooting 75 percent from the floor in taking the 15-7 lead at the stoppage.
The Broncos suffered through a scoring drought midway the half, going three minutes without a field goal until Juwan Howard Jr. hit a jumper at the 11:30 mark.
WMU seemed to gain a little bit of traction midway through the first half, going on a small 5-0 run that slashed Akron's lead to 26-17. It included a Mike Douglas three-pointer and a Matt Stainbrook lay-up.
The Broncos concluded the first half with a Nate Hutcheson lay-up with just seconds remaining, but entered the locker room trailing 41-27 after shooting just 11-for-35 (.314) in the half.

Second Half Notes

The Broncos opened up the second half on a 9-4 run, with Mike Douglas adding a three-pointer and Demetrius Ward notching a lay-up at the 16:14 mark.
The Zips continued to light up the scoreboard, shooting 9-for-20 (.450) from the field. But the Broncos did a good job in slowing down the potent three-point shooting of Akron, holding them to just 2-for-7 (.286) from beyond the arc.
WMU did a good job bouncing back in the second half in regards to foul shooting; after going just 3-for-10 (.300) in the first half, the Broncos went 16-for-20 (.800) in the second half.
The Broncos started clicking late in the second half, and very nearly completed the comeback. Trailing 60-46 at the 7:41 mark, Western Michigan went on a 17-6 run that was partially sparked by the Zips' foul issues. Nate Hutcheson started the run with a lay-up and was followed by six consecutive points from Demetrius Ward. Ward scored 12 of the Broncos' 13 points in the run as they pulled to within 67-63 at the 1:55 mark.

Postgame Notes

The Broncos used good foul shooting to get themselves back in the game against the Zips, going 16-for-20 (.800) from the charity stripe in the second half.
Demetrius Ward scored 12 of the 13 Broncos points in the late 17-6 run, and ended the game with a game-high 22 points. Ward also added seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals, and went 8-for-11 from the free throw line.
Mike Douglas ended the game with 11 points, the only other Broncos player in double figures. He also contributed four assists, four rebounds, and three steals.
Flenard Whitfield finished with nine points and 10 rebounds, just one point shy of his second double-double in as many games. Whitfield's rebounding total included seven offensive boards.
Nate Hutcheson had a game- and career-high 12 rebounds, and also notched six points; along with Whitfield, he is one of only two players to reach double figures in rebounds in the game.
Coach Steve Hawkins falls to 10-7 in MAC Tournament games, and is now 1-4 against Akron in the tournament.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Mike Douglas: G; 6' 0"; Freshman

#1 Demetrius Ward: G; 6' 2"; Freshman

#33 Flenard Whitfield: F; 6' 7"; Freshman

#11 Nate Hutcheson: F; 6' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#5 Mike Douglas
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: G

#1 Demetrius Ward
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: G

#33 Flenard Whitfield
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: F

#11 Nate Hutcheson
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: F