SEATTLE- Western Michigan senior
Tucker Haymond scored a career-high 28 points playing in his hometown return. The Broncos however didn't have quite enough to get past University of Washington, falling by a narrow 92-86 final.
Haymond scored WMU's first six points on three's and made a career-high seven shots from behind the arc. Haymond was a combined 3-for-18 on 3-pointers this season entering the game.
As a team the Broncos were 12-for-22 on 3-pointers, the most three's WMU has made this season. Sophomore
Bryce Moore also got in on the long distance action, knocking down triples on three consecutive possessions in the second half.
UW led by as many as 11 in the first half, but Western Michigan was able to counter each time the Huskies pulled ahead. Haymond scored 20 of his game-high 28 points in the first half. WMU trailed by one at the break, 49-48.
The Broncos hot shooting helped WMU build a five-point lead midway through the second half. The Huskies' Markelle Fultz stepped up for his squad down the stretch, scoring 10 of his team-high 27 points in the final six minutes to lead Washington to victory. Fultz nearly had a triple double, adding 10 assists and eight rebounds.
WMU's
Thomas Wilder drove to the hoop to make it a one-possession game, 89-86, with 1:07 remaining. The Bronco defense didn't come up with the stop they were looking for on the other end and Fultz pushed UW's lead to five. Wilder was then blocked on WMU's final possession.
Wilder finished with his own double-double, recording 14 points and a career-high 10 assists. He also had a team-high seven rebounds.
Freshman
Brandon Johnson totaled 13 points, while Moore had 11 and
Seth Dugan had 10. Â
WMU had just 10 turnovers in the game and shot 50 percent from the floor.
The Huskies (5-5) shot 57 percent from the field and were 8-of-15 from 3-point range.
Western Michigan continues its west coast trip, traveling to Los Angeles to play No. 2 UCLA on Wednesday. The Broncos will enter the matchup with a 3-7 record while the Bruins are 12-0.
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