KALAMAZOO - The Kalamazoo College men's basketball team lost 88-59 in exhibition play at NCAA Division I Western Michigan University on Saturday.
Despite falling behind early, Kalamazoo gave the host Broncos a battle and trailed by just three points (13-10) seven minutes into the game. Western took its largest lead of the first half (36-17) with 5:48 remaining before taking a 39-26 lead into halftime.
Kalamazoo came out strong in the second half and quickly cut the deficit to seven points (43-36) with 16:58 remaining. Kalamazoo trailed 46-39 before a 9-0 run put the Bronco lead back in double digits where it would stay for the rest of the game. The Hornets cut the deficit to 10 (56-46) with 11:41 remaining, but an 8-0 run put the game out of reach for the Broncos.
Western shot 46.6 percent from the field compared to 40 percent for Kalamazoo. The Hornets sank 10-of-25 three pointers while WMU hit 10-of-26. The Broncos sank 24-of-33 free throws while Kalamazoo went to the line just 12 times (9-12).
Western held a 41-24 advantage in rebounds, including 13-4 on the offensive end.
"We competed hard against a very good Division I opponent," said Kalamazoo Head Coach Eric Dougal. "We played with them for about 30 minutes and I'm extremely proud of our effort and execution tonight."
"Tonight's game showcased the improvement that our players have made over the last year and it was a great start to our season," added Dougal.
Mark Ghafari led Kalamazoo with 17 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Adam Peters made 4-of-5 from the field to finish with 11 points with four assists.
"Mark [Ghafari] played very well despite the Broncos knowing where he was at all times," said Dougal. "We got him some very good looks and he knocked them down."
"Adam Peters also played well scoring in double figures and dishing out four assists."
Chase Baysdell scored nine points off the bench for Kalamazoo. Carter Goetz added seven points while Cam Schwartz finished with six points and five rebounds. Grant Carey shared a team-high with four assists.
"Senior Grant Carey also played well dishing out four assists and pulling down four rebounds while freshman Chase Baysdell made a nice college debut with nine points debut," said Dougal.
David Brown led five Broncos in double figures with 15 points.
WMU was picked to finish second in the MAC West this season.
"Coach Hawkins has another great team this year," said Dougal. "They are disciplined, well coached, and will be fun to watch. We enjoy the challenge of playing against them every year."
Kalamazoo opens the 2013-14 regular season at home against Manchester on Nov. 21 at 6 p.m.