KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Five players scored in double figures for Western Michigan as the Broncos used an even attack to dispose of four-time defending MAC West champion Toledo, 78-72.
Sophomore point guard Alex Morton was aggressive going to the basket and totaled a career-high 17 points. Marquisha Harris and Miracle Woods combined for 32 points in the post, each scoring 16 points apiece. Harris also led the team with nine rebounds and dished out a career-high five assists. Woods pulled down seven rebounds.
A.J. Johnson and Michelle O'Brien were the other two Broncos to reach double figures. Both did the bulk of their scoring in the first half, as Johnson totaled nine of her 11 and O'Brien had eight of her 10 in the first 20 minutes of the game.
Western Michigan led by nine at halftime, 38-29, and had to hold off Toledo's best effort in the second half, in which UT shot 56.7 percent from the field. The lead changed eight times in the final period and was tied on four other occasions.
WMU however was red hot from the floor as well, shooting 50.8 percent for the game. Western Michigan also did a good job taking care of the ball, committing a season-low 11 turnovers, with only four in the second half when the game was on the line.
While it was the guards getting the job done in the first half, Harris and Woods went to work in the second, where they each totaled 13 points. With Woods on the bench with foul trouble, Harris repeatedly stepped up to hit shots to ward off the Rockets.
As the momentum started to swing Toledo's way late, Harris grabbed an offensive board off of a miss by Morton and was fouled on the putback, rallying her team and the Bronco fans. Woods returned to the floor shortly after and scored Western Michigan's final eight points of the game.
Western Michigan has now beaten Toledo in two of the last three contests in Kalamazoo. The win snapped a two-game skid for the Broncos (7-9, 3-2 MAC), who had lost their last two conference outings after opening the MAC schedule with a pair of wins.
Andola Dortch scored a game-high 19 points for the Rockets (7-9, 3-2 MAC), and had five assists and four rebounds. Brianna Jones (16 points, 13 rebounds) totaled a double-double and two other Rocket players scored in double figures.
Western Michigan hosts Miami on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and concludes a three-game homestand against rival Central Michigan on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Broncos defeated Miami earlier this month in Oxford, 88-78.
