KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Four different players scored in double-figures as the Western Michigan men's basketball team ended its skid with a 78-68 victory over Ball State on Saturday at University Arena. The WMU victory also snapped a six-game winning streak for the Cardinals.
 
Tray Maddox Jr. paced Western Michigan (7-20, 3-11 MAC) with 22 points, tied for his highest scoring output for the Brown & Gold. Lamar Norman Jr. was right behind Maddox with 20, giving the Broncos two 20+ point scorers in the same game for the fourth time this season.
 
Owen Lobsinger turned in one of his best games as a Bronco, as the sophomore posted career highs in both points (15) and rebounds (7), while also tying his career high with three steals. Markeese Hastings added 10 points and 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the campaign.
 
Western Michigan used a 10-2 run to grab a 15-10 edge in the early stages of the contest. During the run, the Broncos kept Ball State (19-8, 10-4) off of the scoreboard for five minutes. The Cardinals drew level, 21-21, at the 6:53 mark of the first half.
 
WMU responded with 10 in a row, thanks to five points apiece from Maddox and Norman, to take a 31-21 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the opening period. The Broncos went into the halftime locker room with a seven-point edge, 36-29.
 
Ball State worked its way to within five, 42-37, with just over five minutes gone in the second half, but a Lobsinger layup and Norman triple pushed the WMU advantage back to 10, 47-37, at the 13:23 mark.
 
With the score 50-41 in favor of the Broncos, Lobsinger got four points in a matter of seconds. The Flint, Mich., native made a layup off of an offensive rebound, nabbed a steal, and then raced down for a breakaway jam to increase WMU's lead to 54-41 with 11:17 to play. Western Michigan's largest advantage of the afternoon came a few moments later, as a Norman basket made it 60-46 with 9:39 to play.
 
The Broncos kept the Cardinals at arm's length for much of the remainder of the contest. The closest BSU got down the stretch was six, 70-64, with three minutes to go, but Western Michigan scored six of the next eight points to once again extend its cushion into double-figures, and put the game beyond the visitors' reach.
 
WMU made 45.8 percent (27-of-59) from the floor in the contest, while limiting Ball State to 37.7 percent (23-of-61) shooting. The Cardinals entered Saturday as the best three-point shooting team in the MAC at 38.0 percent, but were limited to seven-of-25 (28.0 percent) from beyond the arc by the Bronco defense.
 
Western Michigan hits the road for its next two contests, beginning on Tuesday night at Eastern Michigan. The Broncos and Eagles are set for a 7 pm tip on ESPN+.
 
The Broncos return to University Arena the following Tuesday, Feb. 28, as they host Miami at 7 pm. To purchase tickets to any Western Michigan men's basketball home game this season, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets.

Postgame Press Conference with head coach Dwayne Stephens and sophomore forward Owen Lobsinger: