KALAMAZOO, Mich. – In its first home game of 2023, the Western Michigan men's basketball treated the 3,000-plus fans in attendance at University Arena to an 85-79 victory over Eastern Michigan on Tuesday evening. It was the first MAC win for first-year head coach Dwayne Stephens, in what was his first conference home game at the helm of the Broncos.
 
Lamar Norman Jr. led Western Michigan (5-11, 1-2 MAC) in scoring for the ninth time this season with a game-high 25 points, which included a career-high 12 free throws on a career-high 15 attempts. Norman was joined in double-figures by Markeese Hastings (14), Seth Hubbard (13) and Tray Maddox Jr. (10). Hubbard's 13 points equaled the freshman's career high. Tuesday marked the third straight game WMU has had four players score double-digit points, and the sixth time it has happened so far this season.
 
Hastings netted his 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting, a pair of three-pointers and a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the free throw line. The redshirt junior also hauled in 14 rebounds, his third straight game with double-digit boards. The double-double was Hastings' fourth of the season and eighth of his career.
 
Holding an 8-7 edge in the early going, Western Michigan posted an 11-2 run to open up a 19-9 advantage at the 8:37 mark of the first half. Eastern Michigan (4-12, 1-2 MAC) countered with a 17-4 surge, including nine in a row at one point, to go on top 26-23 with just under four minutes remaining in the opening stanza. EMU's nine straight points were immediately answered by eight consecutive Bronco points, and WMU closed the half with a 13-2 stretch to head into the locker room with a 36-28 cushion.
 
A Hastings dunk and pair of Maddox triples helped the Broncos boost their advantage to 14, 44-30, two minutes into the second half. WMU maintained a double-digit advantage until a 14-6 stretch drew the Eagles back to within four, 56-52, with 10:29 on the clock.
 
Norman and Hubbard combined to score Western Michigan's next 10 points, as the hosts' advantage once again grew to double-digits with just under seven minutes to play. Eastern Michigan again chipped away at the WMU lead, eventually shrinking the gap to four, 73-69, at the 1:58 mark.
 
In response, the Broncos went back to Norman to close it out, and the senior answered the call, tallying 13 of WMU's final 15 points in the contest. Norman was 11-of-13 from the free throw line in the second half, all which came in the final 3:37 of the game to help Western Michigan put the game on ice.
 
The Broncos and Eagles shot nearly identical marks from the field, with WMU at 45.9 percent (28-of-61) and EMU at 46.6 percent (27-of-58). Western Michigan set season highs for free throws made (22) and attempted (30).
 
Western Michigan was plus-three (35-32) on the glass for the evening, which helped lead to an 8-2 edge in second-chance points. WMU also forced five more turnovers (17) than it committed (12), which aided the hosts in racking up a 28-11 advantage in points off of turnovers. The 17 forced turnovers were a new season-best for the Bronco defense.
 
WMU is back at home again on Saturday afternoon as it hosts Bowling Green at 1 pm. To purchase tickets to any Western Michigan men's basketball home game this season, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets.

Postgame Press Conference with senior guard Lamar Norman Jr. and head coach Dwayne Stephens: