UMass defeats W Michigan 82-85

UMass Edges W Michigan in Thrilling Conference Showdown

In a back-and-forth battle, the University of Massachusetts (UMass) outlasted host Western Michigan (W Michigan) 85-82 on Friday night at University Arena.

The visitors from Amherst, Massachusetts got off to a strong start, but the Broncos slowly chipped away in the second half. With just over two minutes left, W Michigan trailed by as few as four points, setting up a tense finish.

In the end, UMass emerged victorious, capitalizing on their edge in three-point shooting to secure the narrow win. The Minutemen's 11 made threes came at a crucial juncture, when they needed them most to counter W Michigan's late surge.

For the hosts, Justice Williams was the standout performer, scoring 29 points and connecting on five of his eight attempts from beyond the arc. Declan Peterson contributed six rebounds and seven points off the bench for the Broncos.

On the other side, Marcus Banks Jr. paced UMass with 22 points, although the Minutemen's bench struggled to find its rhythm throughout the night. Leonardo Bettiol provided a boost off the pine, however, scoring 21 points on eight field goal attempts.

The game was marked by several key moments and statistical standouts. The W Michigan offense shot an impressive 48% from the floor, while UMass connected on nearly half of their 61 total shots (48%).