KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan men's basketball team went on a 12-0 run late in the first half, and continued the momentum into the second half on the way to a 77-47 win in an exhibition contest against Kalamazoo College on Saturday afternoon at University Arena.
 
Freshman guard Gus Etchison led WMU with 16 points off of the bench, connecting on 5-of-8 from the field and knocking down all six of his free throw attempts. Lamar Norman Jr. was also in double-figures with 12 points and posted a game-high four steals. Mileek McMillan snagged a team-high six rebounds. All 14 Broncos saw action on Saturday, 11 of which scored, and 13 different players grabbed at least one rebound.
 
Four three-pointers helped Kalamazoo College grab an early 12-7 advantage six minutes into the contest. Seven straight from the Broncos on a pair of layups by Norman Jr. and a Josiah Freeman three-point play put the hosts on top, 14-12, halfway through the opening period.
 
The Hornets briefly regained a 17-14 advantage, before Western Michigan used a 12-0 surge to open up a 26-17 lead. WMU held Kalamazoo College without a point for more than five minutes during the run. The Broncos notched the final five points of the half to take a 33-22 margin into the halftime locker room.
 
WMU's run continued into the second half, as the Broncos tallied the first seven points after the break to boost their advantage to 18, 40-22, with 18:04 to go. The Hornets did not get any closer than 16 for the remainder of the afternoon, as Western Michigan continued to pull away. The Broncos' lead grew as high as 30, 73-43, on a Shemani Fuller lay-in with 3:06 remaining in the contest.
 
Western Michigan connected on 28-of-59 (47.5 percent) from the floor and hit 16-of-19 (84.2 percent) from the free throw line. The WMU defense held Kalamazoo College to 34.7 percent from the floor (17-of-49) and 23.5 percent from behind the three-point line (8-for-34).
 
The Broncos also forced 16 turnovers, which they turned into 18 points. Western Michigan held a decisive 44-20 advantage on the glass.
 
WMU begins the 2021-22 regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 7 pm as it takes on Hope College at University Arena. Fans can purchase tickets here, or by calling 1-888-4-WMU-TIX. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN3 and the Bronco Radio Network.