MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Western Michigan women's basketball collected their second conference victory of the season this evening over Central Michigan by a final score of 58-44. The win is the fourth on the road for the Broncos so far this year.

The first quarter leaned in favor of the Chippewas (3-9, 1-2 MAC), who lead by a slim 11-8 margin after the initial 10 minutes of play. Sophomore guard Hannah Spitzley got things started offensively for Western Michigan, posting five first quarter points for the Broncos (8-3, 2-0 MAC).

The second period of play started with Central Michigan gaining an eight-point lead thanks to a 7-0 run. This charge in Chippewa momentum was short-lived, however, and the final five minutes of the first half was all WMU as the Broncos closed out the second quarter on a 15-0 run for a seven-point advantage, going into the locker room up 29-22 at the break. Sophomore guard Lauren Ross lead all scorers at the half with 12 points on 5-9 shooting (55.6 percent), while also pulling down five rebounds and swiping two steals.

Hannah Spitzley added seven first half points, while redshirt senior forward Reilly Jacobson posted six points and five rebounds in the opening 20 minutes of play. Senior guard Maddie Watters also gave the Broncos some great first half minutes off the bench, contributing four points, three assists, and a pair of steals.

The Broncos picked up right where they left off coming out of the half, extending the WMU advantage to 11 with 5:33 remaining in the third following back-to-back buckets from Lauren Ross, who posted nine points in the that quarter alone. With 10 minutes left to play in the contest, WMU held a seven-point lead.

The final quarter of play was all Western Michigan, who outscored CMU 13-6 in the final 10 minutes. Redshirt junior forward Abby Voss was huge down the stretch, going on her own 6-0 run with three straight baskets to thwart a Chippewa comeback effort about halfway through the fourth. Defense gave the Broncos a huge boost, holding CMU to 44 points for the evening and just six points in the final period. Western Michigan also won the final three quarters of play by 17 points and a 50-33 margin.

As a collective, the Broncos yanked down 40 rebounds and forced the rival Chippewas into 12 of their 17 turnovers. Western Michigan also lead their opposition in points off of turnovers, points in the paint, fast break points, and bench points. Additionally, the Broncos held a lead for 24:24 of game time.

Western Michigan was driven tonight by Lauren Ross, who posted her first double-double of the season with 25 points on 10-18 shooting, as well as 12 rebounds and a game-high four steals. Ross's first double-double comes after being one and two rebounds shy in her past two games played.

Hannah Spitzley added a season-high 10 points on 4-8 shooting, as well as three rebounds for the Broncos. Abby Voss finished with nine points for the second straight game, this time on 4-8 shooting, while also giving WMU four boards. Reilly Jacobson also contributed eight points, seven points, and a pair of assists.

WMU now prepares for a home matchup with the Rockets of Toledo, who are 3-0 in MAC play to this point. Tip-off against UT in an important MAC showdown is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m.

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