KALAMAZOO, Mich. –
Austin Richie poured in a career-high-tying 22 points, including 13 in the second half, and the Western Michigan men's basketball team used a second half surge to defeat the Ohio Bobcats 90-74 at University Arena on Wednesday. With the win, the Broncos improve to 13-8 on the season, 6-3 in Mid-American Conference play.
Richie finished the game with 22 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including a perfect 3-of-3 mark from three-point range, as well as a 9-of-9 night from the free throw line. The scoring mark tied a career-high set during his freshman campaign, when he dropped 22 points on Oakland on Dec. 23, 2011. Also reaching the 20-point threshold was David Brown, who reached 20 exactly while also adding five steals and two rebounds. Shayne Whittington added 18 points, including 15 during a crucial portion of the second half, and Connar Tava recorded 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting to round out the big offensive night.
The Broncos continued their hot-shooting ways from the field, going 28-of-47 (.596) overall and 8-of-13 (.615) from three-point range. WMU was aggressive in attacking the rim, shooting 35 free throws compared to just 11 for the Bobcats and drawing 28 fouls over the course of the game. WMU forced Ohio into 16 turnovers, including eight steals, and outscored them 24-7 in points off turnovers.
The second half began with Western Michigan holding just a one-point edge, a lead that soon evaporated as the Bobcats took a 45-42 lead on a three-pointer from Maurice Ndour. Brown quickly knotted the score back up with a triple of his own from the right corner, and the teams promptly began trading leads and tied scores. Brown made it a five-point game with 13:07 remaining on another open three, but Travis Wilkins pulled Ohio to within two points with a trey on the next possession, and Stevie Taylor scored on a fast break lay-up with 11:42 remaining to tie the score at 50.
The last Ohio lead came with 9:27 remaining in regulation, with Taylor again drilling a three-pointer to make it 57-54. Kellen McCormick responded with a long-range shot from the head of the key to tie it again, and Taylor Perry gave WMU the lead for good with a free throw make at the 8:39 mark to make it 58-57. Richie extended the lead to four points with a three-pointer from the right wing, and Whittington made it a three-possession game with an and-1 dunk behind the Bobcats' press, giving the Broncos a 64-57 lead. Richie made a pair of free throws with 5:40 remaining to make it a 10-point game, and from there the rout was on; WMU used a 20-4 run to run their lead up to 13 points, and Tava gave the Broncos their biggest lead of the game with a lay-up to make it 88-72 with 35 seconds to play.
The early portion of the first half made it appear that the Bobcats would be the ones to pull away, however. Ohio led by as many as 11 points in the first half, taking a 25-14 lead with 8:28 to play and keeping the Broncos at arm's length. The Broncos went on a 10-0 run to end the first half, though, cutting the lead to seven points on a hook shot by Tava, and making it 36-33 on an and-1lay-up by Brown. Richie closed out the scoring in the first half with a well-time three-pointer, turning what was a deficit into a 37-36 Bronco lead with 49 seconds remaining in the half.
