OXFORD, Ohio – The Western Michigan men's basketball team began Mid-American Conference play with an 83-74 win over Miami at Millett Hall in Oxford on Tuesday evening. With the victory, the Broncos started conference play with a road win for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
 
The WMU offense featured three double-digit scorers and seven who scored at least eight points in the contest. Seth Hubbard led the way with 17 points for Western Michigan (4-9, 1-0 MAC), while B. Artis White (16) and Javonte Brown (12) were also in double-figures. JaVaughn Hannah and Owen Lobsinger each tallied nine points, while Anthony Crump and Titus Wright had eight points apiece.
 
Crump grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and White handed out a team-high five assists. Western Michigan also registered a season-high seven blocks, with Brown's career-high three rejections leading the way.
 
Miami (6-7, 0-1) tallied the first six points of the evening, but WMU answered with eight of the next 10 to draw level, 8-8. A few minutes later, a 7-1 spurt put the Broncos in front for the first time, 15-11. Just past the midway point of the period, the RedHawks used an 11-2 run to climb back on top, 27-20.
 
Trailing 29-23, Western Michigan got back-to-back three-pointers from White and Lobsinger to ignite a 10-1 stretch which allowed the visitors to wrestle the advantage back, 33-30, at the 4:09 mark. MU briefly regained a one-point lead, but the Brown and Gold restored their three-point edge late in the period and took that margin, 44-41, into the halftime locker room.
 
Western Michigan was on the front foot out of the locker room, as it began the second half with seven consecutive points to open up a 51-41 advantage. The offense dried up for both teams for a long stretch, with Miami whittling the margin down to four, 55-51, at the 11:37 mark.
 
The Brown and Gold then slowly built its cushion to 12, 63-51, with eight straight points, all of which came from the free throw line. The RedHawks worked their way back to within five on multiple occasions, including 75-70 with just over two minutes to play, but Western Michigan was able to keep the hosts from getting any closer and sealed the game from the charity stripe.
 
The Broncos shot 46.8 percent (29-of-62) from the field for the evening, while the RedHawks connected on 41.1 percent (23-of-56) of their field goal attempts. Western Michigan added 20 points in 28 attempts (71.4 percent) from the foul line. WMU enjoyed a 40-27 advantage on the glass, the fourth consecutive game in which it has won the rebounding battle.   
 
Western Michigan hits the road again on Saturday as it visits Buffalo. Tip between the Broncos and Bulls is scheduled for 2 pm on ESPN+.