EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Jalen Griffith had 28 points and 10 assists and EJ Ryans netted a career-high 20 points to lead the Western Michigan men's basketball team to an 83-73 win at SIUE on Saturday.
 
Griffith's 28 points came on 8-of-12 shooting, with the junior also going a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line. He also added a career-high 10 assists for his first career double-double. Ryans went 6-of-8 from the field, including 5-of-6 from three-point range, to net his career-high 20 points. Trey Lewis was in double-figures off of the bench for the third straight game with 14 points. Jayden Brewer and Hudson Ward paced WMU on the glass with seven boards apiece.
 
Western Michigan (5-5) hit its first three, three-point tries of the afternoon on its way to a 21-14 advantage. An 11-3 burst, which included Ryans' first two triples of the contest, helped the Broncos extend the margin to 12, 34-22, their largest lead of the opening stanza. SIUE (6-4) closed the gap to 36-28 heading into the break.
 
Western Michigan built its advantage as high as 15, 54-39, in the opening minutes of the second half. The Cougars then rattled off 10 in a row as part of a 14-3 surge which closed the gap to 57-53. The Broncos immediately answered with 10 straight points of their own. Griffith went to the basket for an old-fashioned, three-point play, and Ryans canned a pair of triples, including getting fouled on one for a four-point play, which extended the lead back to 67-53 with eight minutes remaining.
 
SIUE fought back again in the final few minutes, working its way back to within five, 71-66, with three minutes on the clock. Five was as close as the Cougars got, with Griffith hitting a couple of jumpers to hold off the home team and the Broncos going a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line in the final minute to put the game away.
 
The Brown and Gold shot a season-best 57.4 percent (27-of-47) from the field, and made a season-high 12 three-pointers at a season-best 60.0 percent rate (12-of-20). Western Michigan also made a season-best 89.5 percent (17-of-19) from the charity stripe. SIUE connected on 43.8 percent (28-of-64) of its field goals. The Broncos were plus-13 on the glass, owning a 36-23 edge.
 
Western Michigan takes the next week off for finals, then heads back out on the road next Sunday, Dec. 14, to visit Iowa. Tip is scheduled for 3 pm on Big Ten Network.