Women's Basketball | February 28, 2018

Box Score KALAMAZOO, Mich.- The Western Michigan women's basketball team topped Eastern Michigan, 74-66, in the Broncos' final home regular season game Wednesday evening. It was a special evening for the five WMU seniors - LaTondra Brooks, Aneisha Carlisle, Marley Hill, Alexis Parks and Najee Smith - who were honored as tradition after the game.

The night became extra special after learning that with their 71st victory over the last four years the 2018 seniors had become WMU's all-time winningest class in program history, eclipsing the win mark of 70 achieved by the 1978 and 1981 seniors. To top it off, the victory secured WMU a home first round Mid-American Conference Tournament game on Monday, March 5.

Western Michigan (15-14, 8-9 MAC) was clicking on all cylinders in the victory over its West Division rival, totaling 21 assists (the most for the Broncos against a Division I opponent this season) on 27 made baskets. Head coach Shane Clipfell called it the Brown & Gold's "best ball movement of the year."

The Broncos shot 46.6 percent from the floor for the game, their highest in the last six outings. The win broke Western Michigan out of a four-game losing skid and avenged a 69-67 overtime loss at Eastern Michigan on Jan. 17. In that contest, WMU was outrebounded by EMU, 53-38. Wednesday night the Broncos did a better job holding their own on the glass, as EMU edged WMU by just one in the rebounding margin, 36-35.

Western Michigan led 20-16 after the first quarter and outscored the Eagles 14-5 in the second quarter to hold a 34-21 halftime lead. The Broncos went up by as many as 19 points with 6:06 left in the third, but Eastern Michigan fought its way back with a 15-2 run over the next three minutes, cutting the deficit to six. WMU pushed the lead back up to nine before the end of the third and held on in the fourth quarter for the win.

Freshman Jordan Walker tied a career high with 16 points and had four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Junior point guard Deja Wimby tallied her fifth career point-assist double-double, notching 11 points, a career-high 12 assists, seven rebounds and five steals. Hill recorded 16 points and three rebounds and junior Breanna Mobley chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Wimby's 12 assists were the most by a Bronco since Taylor Manley handed out 15 against Miami in 2011.

Eastern Michigan (10-18, 6-11 MAC) shot 42.4 percent from the floor and also had four players score in double figures, led by Danielle Minott with a game-high 18 points.

Western Michigan heads to Northern Illinois for a 2 p.m. ET tip-off in the final game of the regular season on Saturday. NIU (15-13, 7-10 MAC) defeated Toledo Wednesday night in DeKalb, 89-79.