Box Score TOLEDO, Ohio- Western Michigan was slow getting out of the gates and never really found a rhythm, suffering an 89-62 setback at Toledo Tuesday.
Sophomore point guard
Thomas Wilder totaled 20 points, three rebounds and three assists in the loss for Western Michigan. Freshman
Josh Davis hit a career-high four 3-pointers and finished with 12 points. Junior
Kellen McCormick had three triples for nine points.
The Rockets hit five of their first seven field goals, jumping out to a 13-2 lead and never trailed in the game. In addition to the Broncos' offensive woes, fouls and rebounding helped Toledo build its first half edge. Western Michigan was called for eight first-half infractions, sending Toledo to the line 12 times where the Rockets knocked down 10 free throws. UT was whistled for just three first half fouls. On the glass, the Rockets pulled down eight more rebounds (19-11).
Western Michigan had one offensive spurt, cutting a 20-point deficit down to 12 over the final three minutes of the first half. Trailing 39-19, Wilder sparked an 11-3 run, scoring nine of WMU's points in that span. The momentum was short lived however as Toledo's Jonathan Williams converted a layup at the buzzer to give UT a 14-point halftime lead, 44-30.
The struggles from the floor continued for Western Michigan in the second half and Toledo added to its healthy lead. WMU made three of its first 14 attempts in the second half and shot 37.0 percent in the period.
“It was just a good old-fashioned, take you behind the woodshed tail-kicking,” said WMU head coach
Steve Hawkins. “We gave ourselves a glimmer of hope there before halftime, but even that turned sour on us. We shot the ball too early (in the shot clock) and they came right back and scored at the buzzer. Then they came out in the first four minutes of the second half and did exactly to us what they did in the first half.
“We just did not compete at the level we need to in terms of playing hard,” Hawkins said. “We came out flat. I thought we were ready to compete but they really got after us right away.”
The Rockets led the final rebounding count, 42-20, and had 10 offensive boards to WMU's three. Senior Nathan Boothe paced Toledo with a double-double, tallying 16 points and 10 rebounds. Williams scored a team-high 24 points and freshman Nate Navigato hit four 3's off the bench for 12 points.
UT improved its record to 13-9 overall and 4-5 in the Mid-American Conference.
WMU shot 40.7 percent in the game while Toledo finished with a 51.7 shooting percentage.
Western Michigan (9-13, 3-6 MAC) travels to Ball State Saturday for the second meeting with the Cardinals this season. Tip-off from Muncie, Ind., is at 2 p.m. The Broncos return to Kalamazoo to host Miami on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.
