AMES, Iowa – Western Michigan got a game-high 24 points from senior guard
Lamar Norman Jr. in a 73-57 setback at Iowa State on Sunday afternoon at ISU's Hilton Coliseum.
Norman's 24 points included six three-pointers, one shy of his season high. Sunday marked the fifth game with 20 or more points for the senior, and the eighth time this season he has led Western Michigan (3-8) in scoring.
Joining Norman in double-figures were
Tray Maddox Jr. (13) and
JaVaughn Hannah (10). Hannah's 10 points matched a career high.
Markeese Hastings paced the Broncos on the glass with a game-high eight.
Iowa State (9-2) broke a 3-3 deadlock with a 14-0 run to open up a 17-3 edge with 11:32 on the clock. Norman ended the run with his second three-pointer of the afternoon. With the margin at 19-8 near the midway mark of the period, the Cyclones rattled off another eight consecutive points to extend their lead to 27-8.
Norman converted a four-point play as a part of a 10-4 spurt which brought WMU to within 34-21 with 2:10 to go in the half. ISU took a 37-23 advantage into the halftime locker room.
A 9-2 stretch in the early stages of the second half helped the Cyclones increase their lead out to 49-28 with 14:37 to play. Western Michigan used an 11-4 run to get back to within 13, as Hannah connected on a three-pointer to make it 60-47 at the 5:23 mark.
The Broncos closed the gap to 13 again with 3:23 remaining, but could not get any closer, as the Cyclones scored eight of the next 10 points to put the game beyond WMU's reach.
Western Michigan shot 20-of-52 (38.5 percent) for the afternoon and made a season-high 13 three-pointers. Iowa State hit 31-of-49 (63.3 percent) from the field and knocked down seven triples. The Broncos won the rebounding battle for the eighth time in 11 games, as they edged the Cyclones 27-26 on the glass.
WMU returns to University Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 21, for a 1 pm tip against Siena Heights. To purchase tickets to any Western Michigan men's basketball home game this season, visit
wmubroncos.com/tickets.
