BOONE, N.C. – The Western Michigan women's basketball team began the 2025-26 season with a 65-45 loss to the App State Mountaineers on Monday night.
It was a closely contested game through 26 minutes on Monday night in the Holmes Convocation Center. The Broncos led for over half, but the final 15 minutes proved to be the turning point to the [final score] loss. WMU was led by senior
De'Ahna Richardson on the floor as the only Brown and Gold to be in double-figures with 11 points. On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore
Kailey Starks had a team high seven rebounds while senior
Alli Carlson set a career high with four steals for Western Michigan.
It was a back-and-forth game early on between the teams. The Broncos scored first on a three from Nile Mugiera, who made another trey four minutes later. WMU had a strong first quarter behind the arc, shooting 50% midway through the quarter to keep the team on top by one with under three left. But a cold spell in the final two and a half minutes let the Mountaineers take a one-point lead after 10 minutes at Homes Convocation Center.
The Brown and Gold soon took the lead back in the second quarter on their first free throws of the game. Western Michigan added a quick steal from Carlson to get a basket in the lane, growing its lead to three. The Broncos offense got hot from behind the arc with back-to-back three's midway through, forcing a timeout from App State as they took a seven-point advantage. But WMU struggled to find the net in the final three minutes of the half. The defense was able to keep the Mountaineers mostly contained as the Brown Gold headed into the locker room leading by four.
Western Michigan added to its lead within the first minute of the second half. The Broncos offense was quiet for the next two minutes App State went on a seven-point run to get back within one. The teams traded the lead back and forth once until the Mountaineers pulled away on a five-point run. WMU got back in the scoring column before the media timeout to make it a basket game. The Brown and Gold defense tried to contain a red-hot App State offense as they faced their largest deficit of the game at 11. Mugiera sank her third trey to get Western Michigan back within single digits to end the third quarter.
An 11-2 run to open the quarter for the Mountaineers forced the Broncos to take an early timeout as they trailed by 17 points. Richardson and Harness added points for WMU before the final media timeout of the game, but a perfect six-for-six App State extended its lead to 20. The Brown and Gold added five points in the final minute and a half to end the game in a 65-45 loss.
Western Michigan returns to Kalamazoo for its home opener this weekend. The Broncos will welcome Duquesne to University Arena for the first time in program history. Tip-off on Sunday, Nov. 9 is set for 1 p.m.
