KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Western Michigan Broncos raced out to an early lead and held it for the duration of the game on Monday, defeating the Alabama A&M Bulldogs 71-62 at University Arena in the Broncos’ first home game in a month. With the win, the Broncos improve to 7-4 on the season.
Connar Tava and David Brown each tied for the game high with 20 points apiece, with Tava going an impressive 8-of-11 from the field while Brown went 7-of-9. Tava also contributed the team-high in rebounds (6), assists (6), and steals (5). Brown was a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point range. Tucker Haymond also broke double digits in scoring, pouring in 10 points while also grabbing three rebounds. Kellen McCormick and Thomas Wilder came off the bench to punch in eight and seven points, respectively.
Connar Tava and David Brown each tied for the game high with 20 points apiece, with Tava going an impressive 8-of-11 from the field while Brown went 7-of-9. Tava also contributed the team-high in rebounds (6), assists (6), and steals (5). Brown was a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point range. Tucker Haymond also broke double digits in scoring, pouring in 10 points while also grabbing three rebounds. Kellen McCormick and Thomas Wilder came off the bench to punch in eight and seven points, respectively.
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Brown carried the Broncos out to an 8-2 run on his own, making a trio of jumpers – including two three-pointers – to open the contest. Tava upped the lead to 12 points with three straight makes of his own, including an impressive euro-step lay-up at the 15:00 mark to make it a 14-2 advantage for WMU. The Bulldogs wouldn’t score their second basket of the game until the 9:30 mark, when Tyler Davis knocked down a three-pointer from the left wing to make it 18-5.
Tava struck again late in the half with an old-fashioned three-point play sparked by a steal on the defensive end; he intercepted a pass in the paint and raced down the court, crossing over Davis and laying it in while drawing contact. Tava sunk the free toss to make it 21-9 with 5:45 remaining in the half.
There was a late four-point swing for the Broncos when Tucker Haymond was aggressively fouled by Ladarius Tabb while grabbing a rebound. The officials charged Webb with a technical as well as an intentional foul, with the duo of Haymond and Richie draining four free throws to make it 25-14. Brown drilled another trey on the next possession to up the lead to 28-14, and WMU entered the break leading 34-23.
The Bulldogs rallied early in the second half and pulled to within just five points with 12 minutes remaining, but Tava tipped in an offensive rebound to put the Broncos back on the attack and make it 41-34 and connected with Kellen McCormick in the paint on the next possession to spring an easy lay-up. McCormick built the lead back up to 11 points at the 8:12 mark with a three-pointer; Thomas Wilder penetrated the lane and kicked out to a wide open McCormick, who drilled a triple from the left wing to make it 50-39.
Alabama A&M pulled close again thanks to an alley-oop layup by Davis to make it 57-51, but Brown responded on the next possession with a three-pointer to put the Broncos back up by nine points. Haymond helped fend off another Bulldog rally with a two-handed jam, taking a pass from Tava in the paint and throwing it down to make it 67-58 with less than a minute remaining. He tacked on four free throws down the stretch to ice the game, setting the final deficit at 71-62 and finishing with 10 points on the evening.
(Courtesy of WMU Athletics)
Tava struck again late in the half with an old-fashioned three-point play sparked by a steal on the defensive end; he intercepted a pass in the paint and raced down the court, crossing over Davis and laying it in while drawing contact. Tava sunk the free toss to make it 21-9 with 5:45 remaining in the half.
There was a late four-point swing for the Broncos when Tucker Haymond was aggressively fouled by Ladarius Tabb while grabbing a rebound. The officials charged Webb with a technical as well as an intentional foul, with the duo of Haymond and Richie draining four free throws to make it 25-14. Brown drilled another trey on the next possession to up the lead to 28-14, and WMU entered the break leading 34-23.
The Bulldogs rallied early in the second half and pulled to within just five points with 12 minutes remaining, but Tava tipped in an offensive rebound to put the Broncos back on the attack and make it 41-34 and connected with Kellen McCormick in the paint on the next possession to spring an easy lay-up. McCormick built the lead back up to 11 points at the 8:12 mark with a three-pointer; Thomas Wilder penetrated the lane and kicked out to a wide open McCormick, who drilled a triple from the left wing to make it 50-39.
Alabama A&M pulled close again thanks to an alley-oop layup by Davis to make it 57-51, but Brown responded on the next possession with a three-pointer to put the Broncos back up by nine points. Haymond helped fend off another Bulldog rally with a two-handed jam, taking a pass from Tava in the paint and throwing it down to make it 67-58 with less than a minute remaining. He tacked on four free throws down the stretch to ice the game, setting the final deficit at 71-62 and finishing with 10 points on the evening.
(Courtesy of WMU Athletics)
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