EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Western Michigan connected on nearly 60 percent of its shots Saturday as the Broncos downed SIUE men's basketball 83-73 at First Community Arena.
Western Michigan improved to 5-5 overall in winning its first road game of the year. SIUE dropped 6-4 with the setback.
The Broncos hit 27-47 (57 percent) total attempts and went for a season-high 12 three-pointers in the game. They also drained 17-19 at the free throw line. The hot shooting allowed the Broncos to win despite SIUE forcing 19 turnovers.
SIUE struggled offensively in the first half, shooting just 34 percent in the first 20 minutes.
WMU led 36-28 at the break.
The Broncos built as much as a 15-point lead, midway through the second when a Trey Lewis jumper made it 54-39.
Sparked by three steals on defense, the Cougars then went on a 10-0 run, capped off by a Ring Malith three-pointer to get the deficit down to five with 11:47 left in the game. A Malith rebound and tipin made it 57-53 with 10:07 to play when the Broncos pulled away with their own 10-0 run.
SIUE got as close as five two more times, the final time being when Malith scored at the basket after a feed from Myles Thompson made it 75-70 with 57 seconds to play.
From there, the Broncos went 8-8 at the free throw line to seal the win.
Jalen Griffith scored 28 points with 10 assists and five rebounds to lead Western Michigan. He was 9-9 at the free throw line. EJ Ryans was 5-6 from three-point range and scored 20 points.
The Cougars shot 53 percent (17-32) in the second half and went 28-64 (44 percent) for the game. Malith paced the Cougars with 20 points, the fourth time this year he has scored at least 20. Myles Thompson added 13 points and Darrion Baker tied his career high with 12 points in 15 minutes off the bench. Jack Campion and Jordan Pickett each scored eight points. Campion matched his season high with eight assists.
Western Michigan outrebounded SIUE 36-23 in the game. The Cougars scored 36 points in the paint.
SIUE is off until Dec. 14 when Eureka College comes to First Community Arena for a 1 p.m. tip.
