Western Michigan’s efficient night as a team put them above Ohio in this late-season MAC battle 82-73 on Wednesday night in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
As a team, the Broncos (10-18, 7-8 MAC) outrebounded Ohio (15-13, 9-6 MAC) 42-32 while shooting 50.8% from the field and 42.1% from the 3-point line.
Junior Chansey Willis Jr. aided the Broncos, putting up 34 points and eight assists. His offensive success led to him playing a role in over half of Western Michigan’s points.
Shereef Mitchell led Ohio in scoring with 21 points and contributed to the Bobcats’ 15 total steals.
Despite having 16 turnovers and only eight bench points, the Broncos’ efficient night allowed them to power down the stretch.
Western Michigan was first on the board, going on an 11-4 run to begin the game and set the tone. Ohio fought back to bring the score to 11-9 and within a possession, but the Broncos charged ahead on a 10-2 run.
The Bobcats relied on unsuccessful perimeter shots for much of the game, making only 9 of 28 attempts. The inefficient offensive performance allowed Western Michigan to go on scoring runs and tack onto its lead.
Ohio stole the lead back, scoring from the paint and going on a run of their own to take a slight 24-23 advantage just over halfway through the first half. Western Michigan quickly reclaimed the lead, however. The Broncos led 36-33 at halftime after Ohio’s Jackson Paveletzke knocked down a second layup to shorten the Broncos’ lead.
The Bobcats came out of the break with the firepower they needed. Their 12-4 run gave them a five-point lead, concluding on an AJ Brown layup with 16:45 left in the game. This was the biggest lead Ohio had for the rest of the game.
The Broncos stormed back into the game with a pair of layups from Markhi Strickland and Willis Jr. Both teams traded baskets, unable to stabilize a lead, until Western Michigan took a 67-64 advantage at 7:47. The Broncos never let go of the lead. They stuffed Ohio’s offense in the last 10 minutes, where Ohio scored 12 points. In that time, the Broncos scored 21.
Ohio’s efficiency from the field and beyond the arc was an issue. The Bobcats shot 41.8% from the field and 32.1% from 3.
The Bobcats’ record ties them with Kent State and Toledo in the MAC, tightening the race for third place in the conference.
Ohio hosts MAC rival Miami (OH) at 1 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN+.
Western Michigan travels to Northern Illinois University to play at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN+.
