The game-winner from Lee clinched WMU's first . . .
Western Michigan used a 9-2 run late to capture the road win over the Chippewas. Prior to it's critical run, CMU ran off five straight points and held a 63-58 lead with less than three minutes remaining. However, the Broncos quickly responded with a jumper from Lee, followed by a three-pointer from sophomore B. Artis White to tie the game at 63.
WMU led by two with 34 seconds remaining after freshman Josiah Freeman nailed a pair of free-throws. Central Michigan then countered with a pair of free-throws to tie the game at 65 with 24 seconds remaining.
The clock was winding down when White passed the ball to Lee, who rose up from 15-feet away with two defenders on him to knock down the eventual game-winner.
Lee led the way for the Broncos with 16 points on a sweet 8-of-12 shooting from the field. Over 27 minutes, the senior forward also led the team with eight rebounds and had two assists and one steal.
Also reaching double figures with 16 points was B. Artis White. The sophomore guard was 6-of-13 from the field and connected on four three-pointers, one shy of his career-high.
Freshman Josiah Freeman registered a career-high 11 points. He was 3-of-6 from the field, with all three field goals coming from behind the arc.
As a team, the Broncos shot 43.1 percent from the field, 9-of-26 from behind the three-point line and 8-of-11 from the free-throw line. WMU outrebounded CMU, 33-30, and held a 13-7 advantage on the offensive glass.
It was a slow defensive battle to begin the game as WMU jumped out to a 6-2 lead before both teams went scoreless from the field for over three minutes.
The Bronco offense got hot late in the first half making seven of eight field goals to build a 24-18 lead with four minutes remaining. However, WMU went scoreless for the next two minutes as CMU slowly marched back into the game. Josiah Freeman hit a three-pointer with under 10 seconds remaining to give WMU a 32-28 lead heading into halftime.
WMU earned its largest lead of the game (10) at the 11:03 mark of the second half thanks to a three-pointer from freshman Daylan Hamilton. Central Michigan, however, bounced back and over the last seven minutes went on a 17-3 run to take a 58-54 lead with 4:24 remaining.
A 5-0 run for WMU, highlighted by a three from White, tied the game at 63 with two minutes left. The Broncos and Chippewas each knocked down a pair of free-throws with under 30 seconds remaining to give WMU the ball with 24 seconds left.
(Courtesy of WMU Athletics/MRO Edit)