BOX SCORE

QUOTES

NOTES

KALAMAZOO -- Senior Martelle McLemore posted career highs of 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists to lead Western Michigan men's basketball past VCU, 83-67, in front of 2,654 at University Arena Wednesday night.

The Broncos (1-1) also received career-high-tying 13 points and 11 rebounds from senior center Donald Lawson for his first career double-double. He also blocked three shots. Senior David Kool hit 11-of-12 free throws to add 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals, while freshman Nate Hutcheson tied his career high with nine points and pulled down a career-high six rebounds.

The Rams, ranked No. 8 in this week's Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, led by as many as 17 points, 28-11, with 9:40 left in the first half after an offensive rebound and putback, but the Broncos slowly started the climb back with an immediate 10-0 run over 2:54 to pull within seven, 28-21, with 6:16 to go in the half after a pair of fast-break layups by McLemore and a three-pointer by Hutcheson.

VCU, the defending champions of the Colonial Athletic Association, recovered and went back up 13, 40-27, after a three-pointer with 1:50 to go in the half. The Broncos came back with six quick points, capped by a fast-break layup from freshman David Brown, to pull within seven, 40-33, with 46 seconds left in the half and McLemore's jumper in the paint with 19 seconds to go kept WMU within seven, 42-35, at halftime.

The Broncos shot 10-of-30 in the first half, but hung around with 14-of-20 free throw shooting. The Rams had nine offensive rebounds to outscore WMU, 16-8, in second chance points and forced nine WMU turnovers.

VCU was still up seven, 48-41, with 17:40 to play when the Broncos took over for good. A layup by Flenard Whitfield started a 17-2 run over the next 6:32 to put the Broncos up by eight, 58-50, with 10:08 to play. McLemore had seven points during the run and sophomore Mike Douglas had four points and assisted on a Lawson fast-break dunk.

VCU hung around and cut the lead to five, 63-58, with 6:31 remaining after a dunk by T.J. Gwynn, but McLemore rebounded his own missed three and found Whitfield for a lay-up to start a 10-0 run by the Brown & Gold. Whitfield started the run and ended the game with a fast-break lay-up off a feed from sophomore Demetrius Ward, 73-58, with 2:12 to play.

The Broncos shot 17-of-28 in the second half, including 16-of-20 inside the arc with 15 of those baskets coming inside the paint. The Broncos also out-rebounded VCU, 29-12, in the second half and outscored the fast-paced Rams, 15-2, in second-chance points.

Overall, the Broncos shot 46.6 percent (27-58) and held VCU to .307 shooting (23-75). The Broncos also hit 27-of-35 free throws, compared to 15-of-19 freebies for VCU.

VCU was led by Bradford Burgess with 16 points, while Collegeinsider.com Preseason Mid-Major All-American Larry Sanders had seven points and seven rebounds.

WMU goes back on the road on Monday, Nov. 23 to play at Loyola (Ill.) (1-1) at 8 p.m. in Chicago.