Western Michigan's men's basketball season ended on Thursday with a 77-53 loss to Syracuse in the NCAA tournament.
Kalamazoo Gazette reporter David Drew covered the game played in Buffalo. He told WMUK's Gordon Evans that Syracuse's zone defense, a crowd backing the Orange and Bronco nerves combined to make for a comfortable Syracuse win.
Turnovers were a big problem for Western in the first half as Syracuse built its lead. Drew says that has been a problem for the Broncos this season, and the Orange have been very good taking care of the basketball this season and forcing turnovers. He says Syracuse's defense was very strong, and Western had trouble preparing for it.
Drew says despite the loss, Western reached its potential this year and perhaps overachieved. He says Western accomplished a lot this season, including winning the overall Mid-American Conference regular season championship and the MAC tournament. Bronco coach Steven Hawkins calls the year a success.
Western ended the season with a record of 23-10. Drew says how well the Broncos do next season may depend on whether guard David Brown decided to pursue a sixth year of eligibility.
