KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan University's men's basketball team clinched a share of the MAC West title with hot shooting and balanced scoring in an 87-70 defeat of Ball State in front of a raucous 3,429 at University Arena Wednesday night.

Four Broncos reached double figures for the 11th time this season, paced by Mike Douglas' career night. The junior point guard finished a perfect 7-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-3 from long range, and 8-of-8 from the free throw line on his way to a career-high 25 points. Flenard Whitfield added 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and a pair of blocks. Juwan Howard Jr. (13 points) and Nate Hutcheson (11 points) also reached double figures for WMU, which shot 61.1 percent (33-of-54). The victory ensures the Broncos at least a share of the MAC West title for the fifth time in head coach Steve Hawkins' tenure and sixth time in school history.

The team effort helped senior Alex Wolf and junior Ed Thomas leave University Arena on a high note, as each played their final regular season home game for the Brown & Gold. Wolf contributed an assist, while Thomas assisted on Nick Stapert's lone bucket of the night in the closing minutes.

Ball State was led by Malik Perry with 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting. Jarrod Jones added 12 points and seven rebounds, but tough defense by the Bronco forwards held him to just 4-of-13 from the field. The 17-point margin of defeat is the largest suffered by the Cardinals in conference play this season. The Cardinals fell to 17-12 overall and 9-6 in the MAC.

WMU gradually built it's lead over the course of the second half. The Cardinals pulled as close as 44-39 on a pair of free throws by Zach Fields, but an 11-3 Bronco surge opened up a 13-point lead. The run was bookended by a three and a runner in the lane by Douglas, who scored 19 of his points in the second half. Howard scored four points in the run on a step-back fall-away jumper over Jones and a baseline pull-up jumper. The freshman finished 5-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-2 from three-point range. Overall, WMU shot 56.3 percent beyond the arc (9-of-16).

A second run helped the Broncos put the game away. Leading 65-52 with 8:30 to play, WMU ripped off an 11-3 run over the next 3:02 to put the game out of reach. Douglas found Matt Stainbrook on the drive for a lay-in, scored on a runner and added a pair of free throws in the run, while Demetrius Ward provided punch from the outside with one of his two treys. Muhammed Conteh added a put-back for two of his four points. With the Broncos leading 76-55 with 4:28 to play, Ball State would never seriously threaten the rest of the night.

Tight Bronco defense in the second half was also key to the victory, as WMU held the Cardinals to 27.6 percent shooting (8-of-29) after the break. Ball State shot 41.1 percent overall (23-of-56).

Each team rode hot shooting to their respective starts in the first half, but a couple short Bronco runs were the difference in helping WMU claim a 40-34 halftime advantage. WMU twice went on 6-0 runs, and also had a seven-point run in the half. A Whitfield baseline jumper gave WMU it's largest lead of the half, 37-26 with 3:38 to play, but the Cardinals rallied with an 8-3 run to close the halftime deficit to 40-34. A strong first half from Whitfield saw the junior power forward score 10 points and grab four rebounds.

The highlight of the night came midway through the first half. After a catch on the wing, Hutcheson drove the lane and elevated from the MAC logo over a Cardinal defender for a one-handed tomahawk throwdown. The two points were the most emphatic of a big first half for Hutcheson, who scored nine of his points before halftime.

WMU will look to continue its hot play at arch-rival Central Michigan on Saturday, March 5. With a victory, WMU would clinch the outright MAC West title as well as a first-round bye and at least a number two seed in the MAC Tournament. Tip-off is slated for 2:00 p.m., with live coverage being offered by the Bronco Radio Network.