KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan started off hot and never cooled down, improving to 5-1 at home this season with a 90-74 victory over visiting Toledo.
WMU shot a staggering 70 percent from the floor in the game and went 13-for-16 (81.3%) from the free-throw line. The Broncos seemed to get better as the game grew on and connected on 19 of 25 shots for a 76 percent clip in the second half.
The loss snapped a . . .
WMU shot a staggering 70 percent from the floor in the game and went 13-for-16 (81.3%) from the free-throw line. The Broncos seemed to get better as the game grew on and connected on 19 of 25 shots for a 76 percent clip in the second half.
The loss snapped a . . .
. . . five-game winning streak for Toledo, whose last defeat came on Dec. 10 in overtime to Marshall. The Rockets (9-7, 2-1 MAC) had opened Mid-American Conference play 2-0 before running into the Broncos.
Western Michigan freshman Reggie Jones lit it up from the get-go, hitting his first five shots, including two 3-pointers to help the Broncos (5-20, 1-2 MAC) get out to a 16-9 lead. Junior point guard Thomas Wilder was also a big factor, making plays on both ends of the floor. Both Jones and Wilder were in double digits scoring before halftime as Western Michigan led 42-37.
"We played with a little giddy-up tonight," WMU head coach Steve Hawkins said. "We played with a little swag. Reggie really had it going early."
The two continued their assault in the second half. Jones finished with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting and went 4-for-4 from deep. He also had six rebounds, two assists and a steal. Wilder ended with 19 points, nine assists, six rebounds and two steals.
Three additional Broncos also reached double figures. Drake LaMont had 13 points, followed by Tucker Haymond and Brandon Johnson -- each with 12. Johnson pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
"The whole team was aggressive," Hawkins said. "We played downhill, we were unselfish and we were smart about it. When we saw an opening we drove hard at it.
"Defensively, I thought there were some stops that we could have had and we gave up 14 offensive rebounds, which is a concern moving forward," Hawkins said.
Western Michigan, in large part due to its incredible shooting percentage, had five just offensive boards. Overall, WMU still held an edge on the glass, 27-26.
Jonathan Williams had a team-high 19 points for Toledo. Steve Taylor Jr. recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. UT shot 43.3 percent from the field and went just 6-for-23 from behind the arc.
With the win, Western Michigan improves to 5-10 overall and 1-2 in the MAC. The Broncos return home to host Kent State on Saturday at 2 p.m. Toledo's record fell to 9-7 and 2-1 in the MAC. The Rockets are at Central Michigan Friday (7 p.m. ET).
Western Michigan freshman Reggie Jones lit it up from the get-go, hitting his first five shots, including two 3-pointers to help the Broncos (5-20, 1-2 MAC) get out to a 16-9 lead. Junior point guard Thomas Wilder was also a big factor, making plays on both ends of the floor. Both Jones and Wilder were in double digits scoring before halftime as Western Michigan led 42-37.
"We played with a little giddy-up tonight," WMU head coach Steve Hawkins said. "We played with a little swag. Reggie really had it going early."
The two continued their assault in the second half. Jones finished with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting and went 4-for-4 from deep. He also had six rebounds, two assists and a steal. Wilder ended with 19 points, nine assists, six rebounds and two steals.
Three additional Broncos also reached double figures. Drake LaMont had 13 points, followed by Tucker Haymond and Brandon Johnson -- each with 12. Johnson pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
"The whole team was aggressive," Hawkins said. "We played downhill, we were unselfish and we were smart about it. When we saw an opening we drove hard at it.
"Defensively, I thought there were some stops that we could have had and we gave up 14 offensive rebounds, which is a concern moving forward," Hawkins said.
Western Michigan, in large part due to its incredible shooting percentage, had five just offensive boards. Overall, WMU still held an edge on the glass, 27-26.
Jonathan Williams had a team-high 19 points for Toledo. Steve Taylor Jr. recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. UT shot 43.3 percent from the field and went just 6-for-23 from behind the arc.
With the win, Western Michigan improves to 5-10 overall and 1-2 in the MAC. The Broncos return home to host Kent State on Saturday at 2 p.m. Toledo's record fell to 9-7 and 2-1 in the MAC. The Rockets are at Central Michigan Friday (7 p.m. ET).
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