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Nick Winbush was one of four Miami players to log over 40 minutes on the court. A fifth had 39 minutes. Below, Demetrius Ward gets off a shot against Chris McHenry. Photos by Mike Smith.

Standout senior forward Antonio Ballard went down with a season-ending broken wrist with 26.5 seconds remaining in Miami’s 68-58 win Thursday at Central Michigan. Earlier in the day, freshman guard Quinten Rollins hurt his wrist and is scheduled to be re-evaluated in a month.

The RedHawks had little time to dwell on their double-blow, however, as the schedule called for Miami to host Western Michigan approximately 41 hours after embarking on the long ride home from Mount Pleasant.

Miami started fast in Saturday’s matchup against the Broncos and owned a 42-28 halftime lead. It was a seemingly comfortable 15-point advantage after Orlando Williams’ jumper at 13:52, but the visitors soon started to hack away at the lead. By the 10:25 mark, WMU was only four points (54-50) behind the hosts.

Western Michigan knocked it down to one point three times before forging a tie at 62-all with 2:35 left. The Broncos then grabbed their first lead since a 3-2 advantage less than a minute into the contest when Nate Hutcheson nailed a trey from the left corner with 1:53 remaining.

Julian Mavunga, who scored 22 points to lead all scorers, hit a free throw to make it a two-point game. After a Bronco turnover, Mavunga got the ball again and drove into the lane, finishing with a short jumper to tie the game 65-all at the :19 second mark. Demetrius Ward had a shot for the win with two seconds left, but it was off the mark,

Mike Douglas hit a short jumper early in overtime to give Western Michigan the lead. Juwan Howard Jr. pushed it to four with a bucket before Miami’s Williams converted a three-point play.

Matt Stainbrook’s fall-away tip-in put WMU out front 71-68. Two turnovers and three missed free throws foiled the RedHawks ensuing possessions, and the Broncos locked up their victory with a Howard bucket to complete scoring at the :23 mark.

“We crumbled down the stretch,” Mavunga said. “It’s a game we could have had (and) should have had. … It’s disheartening, but we know we have to move on and get ready for the next game.”

“I thought our legs got tired on us,” said Miami head coach Charlie Coles, who placed blame for the loss on himself. “This was a winnable game,” he continued. “I did a terrible job of coaching (in) the second half. I should have substituted my big guys. … Drew MaGee and Vince Legara.”

Whether or not the outcome was related to substitutions, statistics certainly pointed to a Miami team that struggled after intermission. The hosts shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the field in the first half, including 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) from behind the arc and 8-of-8 from the free throw line.

Miami dropped to 37.5 percent (9-of 24), including a paltry 1-of-7 (14.3 percent) after the break. The RedHawks got to the free throw line for six tosses after halftime, making three. All three misses came on a Williams’ three-shot opportunity with MU down 71-68 in overtime.

Coles noted his squad likely gave Western Michigan some momentum right before the half when a pair of turnovers reduced an 18-point MU lead to 14 points.

“Now they go in on a high,” Coles said. “If we go (in) 18, I guarantee we win that game.”

As Miami’s offense faltered post-intermission, Western Michigan thrived. The Broncos went from 41.7 percent from the field (16.7 percent, 1-of-6 beyond the arc) in the first half to 51.9 percent from the field in the second half, boosted by 4-of-9 on trey attempts.

“When you go all the way to Central Michigan and you come back and you’ve got one day to practice – and it’s not even a night game, (that’s tough),” Coles said. “The other team – they played Tuesday. … I think our legs gave in, (but) that goes back to me. (I need to) get some (other) guys in there.”

Much of the damage by Western Michigan (11-9, 4-3 MAC) came out of the guard spots. Demetrius Ward led the Broncos with 21 points. Mike Ward added 11.

Center Matt Stainbrook and Howard, a forward, chipped in 11 apiece.

Miami (9-12, 4-3) had three players in double figures. In addition to Mavunga’s 22, Williams netted 15 and fellow guard Chris McHenry contributed 12.

The RedHawks get a little time to regroup before hosting the best from the West – Ball State – Tuesday night (7 p.m.). Western Michigan, meanwhile, entertains one of the MAC East’s best, Kent State, Wednesday (7 p.m.).