ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Charles Matthews made a layup just before halftime to give No. 5 Michigan its first lead and the smooth-shooting guard matched a season high with 25 points to help the undefeated Wolverines beat Western Michigan 70-62 on Saturday.
Michigan (11-0) is off to its best start since it was 16-0 six seasons ago.
The Broncos (5-5) were in control for much of the first half and led by eight points with 2:58 remaining after Michael Flowers scored 11 of his career-high 31 points in just over two minutes.
Matthews scored eight of his team’s 10 points to close the first half, giving Michigan a 30-28 lead. He scored five more points during the Wolverines’ 14-2 run early in the second half, giving them a cushion they needed because the Broncos stayed aggressive on both ends.
Matthews made a 3-pointer with 1:13 left to put the Wolverines ahead by eight.
Michigan’s Zavier Simpson scored 15 points and Jordan Poole had 14.
The Wolverines’ leading scorer, Ignas Brazdeikis, was held scoreless for more than 24 minutes before finishing with just four points -- 13 below his average.
Jared Printy had 10 points for the Broncos, whose top two scorers were held well below their average. Seth Dugan had seven points, more than 10 points below his average, and Josh Davis fouled out with four points after entering the game scoring nearly 14 points per game.
BIG PICTURE
Western Michigan: The Broncos, who hadn’t played a ranked team since 2016, will likely get a boost of confidence for leading for much of the first half and refusing to get routed when Michigan took control in the second half.
Michigan: The Wolverines looked rusty in the first half and must learn how to stay sharp with only one game per week from Dec. 8 to Dec. 30 before resuming Big Ten play in early January.