ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Western Michigan women's basketball team took on No. 25 Michigan in its season opener on Friday in Ann Arbor, falling by a score of 76-55. 

Redshirt sophomore Jordan Walker returned to the court following last season's injury and led the Broncos with 14 points, shooting 5-for-21 inside the arc and making one of only three-pointers made by WMU in contest. Senior Breanna Mobley totaled eight points and two rebounds and blocked a shot in the second quarter. Two Broncos made strides in their first nights in the Brown & Gold uniform as Sydney Shafer tallied 12 points and four rebounds, while Ashley Konkle led WMU with nine rebounds to go along with six points.

The Wolverines were efficient from the field, shooting 45 percent while converting 30-of-67 field goals and 25 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. The Broncos struggled to find their groove, converting just 19 field goals on 61 attempts, but outscoring Michigan on second chance points, 11-8.  

Michigan outscored the Broncos 23-12 in the first quarter, shooting 56.3 percent from the floor while holding the Broncos to 2-of-11 shooting inside the arc. Eight of WMU's 12 points in the first frame came from free throws as they went 8-for-9 from the line. 

WMU opened the second frame with its first three-pointer of the game, from Walker, who scored again as the Broncos went on a 7-0 run. The Wolverines quickly answered, going on a 10-0 stretch of their own, to take a 42-23 lead into the half.

The Broncos outscored Michigan 15-13 in the third quarter, going on a 6-0 run with four Wolverine turnovers. Mobley opened up the hot streak with a layup and Kamrin Reed followed with a defensive rebound and fast break points. Walker drew a technical foul on a made layup, making two of her three free throws to bring WMU within 20 points of the Maize & Blue.

The Broncos refused to go down without a fight as Reed opened the final frame with a jumper from the paint followed by a three-pointer from Leighah-Amori Wool. The Wolverines answered with a pair of layups and a jumper inside the paint to round out the fourth quarter, narrowly outscoring WMU 18-15.

Western Michigan shot well from the free throw line, going 15-for-22, including an 88.9 percent clip in the first half. Wool shot 6-for-6 from the line, setting a career high in free throws made. WMU finished the game with eight steals to Michigan's seven and converting eight points off 19 forced Wolverine turnovers.

The Broncos host Kentucky State University for their home opener on Thursday at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and tickets are available online at wmubroncos.com/tickets or by calling 1-888-4-WMU-Tix.

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