Box Score STONY BROOK, N.Y.- Western Michigan let a nine-point second half lead slip away as host Stony Brook rallied behind Sabre Proctor and Kori Bayne-Walker, defeating the Broncos 59-55 at the Seawolves Holiday Classic Presented by the Hilton Garden Inn. Proctor scored a game-high 20 points in the victory, while Bayne-Walker pumped in 17 points, including 13 in the second half.

Despite the loss, Western Michigan's 6-4 record is the best for the program since the 1998-98 team posted a 7-3 record over its first 10 games.

Western Michigan played well enough to win against Stony Brook but came up short in one major area - rebounding. The Seawolves pulled down 17 more rebounds than the Broncos and were plus nine on the glass in the second half. Among those were three consecutive offensive boards that resulted in a layup pushing Stony Brook's lead to six with 5:37 left in the game.

“Rebounding as well as ball-screen defense, which was our number two key, were our major disappointments,” said WMU head coach Shane Clipfell. “We are too good of a team to get hammered on the boards like that. We have to figure out a way to get that fixed.

“We never were in synch defensively on our ball screens which really allowed Proctor and Bayne-Walker to be more efficient than they normally are.”

After spending most of the first half on the bench due to foul trouble, Bayne-Walker was the difference-maker for Stony Brook in the second half. She converted a pivotal three-point play and attacked the basket for critical points that kept her team on top in the final minutes of the game.

Alex Morton did her best to counter for Western Michigan hitting back-to-back three's down the stretch, the second of which pulled the Broncos within two, 55-54, with 2:48 remaining. Over the next minute, Bayne-Walker and WMU's Miracle Woods exchanged baskets, as Stony Brook maintained its two-point lead. WMU came up with a defensive rebound and called a timeout with 13.2 seconds left on the clock. Woods missed a shot going to her left off the inbounds play and the ball fell loose among a crowd. WMU was called for a foul on the scramble, sending Proctor to the line for a pair of free throws with three seconds left. She buried both to put Stony Brook up by four and seal the win for the Seawolves.

Western Michigan held a six-point lead, 29-23, after A.J. Johnson drilled a deep three-pointer at the halftime buzzer. The Broncos battled from three down with a strong 11-2 run over the final three minutes of the first half.

The Broncos continued to add on their advantage out of the break pulling ahead by nine, 34-25. Stony Brook came back swinging with a 13-2 run that pulled the Seawolves back in front, 38-36, midway through the second half. The run was briefly slowed by a three-pointer by Michelle O'Brien, but Stony Brook's momentum carried through thanks to their playmakers.

Morton tied a career-high with her two-three pointers and led Western Michigan with 15 points. She also added five assists and two steals. Woods finished with 15 points, followed by 12 points from Johnson, who also made a pair of three's. Freshman Teagan Reeves came off the bench to grab four of WMU's 10 first half rebounds, which tied Michelle O'Brien's four rebounds for a team game high.

Western Michigan shot 43.1 percent for the afternoon just a shade below Stony Brook at 45.5 percent.

“We have to respond tomorrow, playing a team in Holy Cross that is better than their record says,” Clipfell continued. “I still like our mental makeup in our lockerroom and our kids are resilient and I think they are going to bounce back.”

Western Michigan closes out the classic tomorrow against Holy Cross at noon. It will be the final non-conference game of the season for the Broncos which opens the Mid-American Conference schedule with back-to-back home games against Akron (Jan. 3) and Ohio (Jan. 7).

Holy Cross defeated Norfolk State in game one on Sunday, 63-62, and enters Monday's contest against the Broncos with a 4-8 record.