ATHENS, Ohio – Lamar Norman Jr. tallied a game-high 30 points, but the Western Michigan men's basketball team fell to league-leading Ohio, 77-64, on Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
 
Norman tallied his third 30-point performance of the season, the most in the Mid-American Conference. Saturday's game marked the 18th time this season that Norman led Western Michigan (4-19, 0-12) in scoring, and extended his double-digit scoring streak to 20 in a row.
 
Joining Norman in double-figures for the Broncos were Mileek McMillan and Markeese Hastings, who notched 11 and 10 points, respectively. Hastings also collected a team-high 10 rebounds to register his third double-double.
 
Western Michigan got four points from Norman and a three-pointer from B. Artis White in the opening two minutes to jump out to a 7-2 edge. WMU then put together a 10-2 run, with five points apiece from Norman and McMillan, to extend its lead out to 17-7 at the 14:43 mark. Ohio (19-3, 10-1) answered with a 14-0 run to move ahead for the first time, 21-17, just past the halfway mark of the period.
 
The Bobcats remained in front until Hastings hit a three-pointer at the 1:39 mark to even the score at 35-35. Norman briefly put Western Michigan back on top with a short jumper inside the final 15 seconds, but Ohio nailed a three-pointer moments before the horn sounded to take a 40-39 edge into the locker room.
 
Josiah Freeman and Norman each canned a three-pointer in the first two minutes of the second half to put the Broncos back ahead, 45-42. Ohio netted the next seven points to begin a 13-2 run, which helped OU regain the lead, 58-48, with 13:35 to play.
 
Western Michigan drew back to within six, 60-54, at the 11:37 mark, but the Bobcats rattled off another seven in a row to extend their cushion to 13, 67-54. The Broncos got back-to-back three-pointers from Hastings and Norman to close the gap to 73-64 in the final minutes, but Ohio closed it out from there.
 
WMU shot 44.7 percent (21-of-47) for the afternoon, while Ohio converted 49.2 percent (32-of-65) of its field goal attempts. The Broncos also made 11-of-27 (40.7 percent) three-pointers, and held the Bobcats to seven triples on 27 tries (25.9 percent). Saturday marked the sixth time this season Western Michigan knocked down double-digit three-pointers.
 
Western Michigan closes out its three-game road trip on Tuesday evening as it heads to Oxford take on Miami for a 7 pm contest. The game is slated to be broadcast on ESPN3 and the Bronco Media Network.
 
To purchase tickets to any Western Michigan men's basketball home game this season, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets, or call 1-888-4-WMU-TIX.