WMU ladies’s basketball opens season with loss at App State

BOONE, N.C. – The Western Michigan ladies’s basketball staff started the 2025-26 season with a 65-45 loss to the App State Mountaineers on Monday night time.

It was a intently contested sport by 26 minutes on Monday night time within the Holmes Convocation Center. The Broncos led for over half, however the closing quarter-hour proved to be the turning level to the [final score] loss. WMU was led by senior De’Ahna Richardson on the ground as the one Brown and Gold to be in double-figures with 11 factors. On the defensive aspect of the ball, sophomore Kailey Starks had a staff excessive seven rebounds whereas senior Alli Carlson set a profession excessive with 4 steals for Western Michigan.

It was a back-and-forth sport early on between the groups. The Broncos scored first on a 3 from Nile Mugiera, who made one other trey 4 minutes later. WMU had a powerful first quarter behind the arc, capturing 50% halfway by the quarter to maintain the staff on high by one with below three left. But a chilly spell within the closing two and a half minutes let the Mountaineers take a one-point lead after 10 minutes at Homes Convocation Center.

The Brown and Gold quickly took the lead again within the second quarter on their first free throws of the sport. Western Michigan added a fast steal from Carlson to get a basket within the lane, rising its result in three. The Broncos offense received scorching from behind the arc with back-to-back three’s halfway by, forcing a timeout from App State as they took a seven-point benefit. But WMU struggled to seek out the web within the closing three minutes of the half. The protection was capable of preserve the Mountaineers largely contained because the Brown Gold headed into the locker room main by 4.

Western Michigan added to its lead inside the first minute of the second half. The Broncos offense was quiet for the following two minutes App State went on a seven-point run to get again inside one. The groups traded the lead backwards and forwards as soon as till the Mountaineers pulled away on a five-point run. WMU received again within the scoring column earlier than the media timeout to make it a basket sport. The Brown and Gold protection tried to include a red-hot App State offense as they confronted their largest deficit of the sport at 11. Mugiera sank her third trey to get Western Michigan again inside single digits to finish the third quarter.

An 11-2 run to open the quarter for the Mountaineers pressured the Broncos to take an early timeout as they trailed by 17 factors. Richardson and Harness added factors for WMU earlier than the ultimate media timeout of the sport, however an ideal six-for-six App State prolonged its result in 20. The Brown and Gold added 5 factors within the closing minute and a half to finish the sport in a 65-45 loss.

Western Michigan returns to Kalamazoo for its residence opener this weekend. The Broncos will welcome Duquesne to University Arena for the primary time in program historical past. Tip-off on Sunday, Nov. 9 is about for 1 p.m.