The Chippewas' (19-8, 13-3 MAC) 73-61 win over Western Michigan (15-13, 7-9 MAC) Saturday at University Arena earned them at least a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title and a guaranteed spot as a top-four seed in the conference tournament.

The Chippewas shot 50 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from 3-point range in a game with 30 total turnovers. After being tied with WMU after the first and second quarters, CMU heated up offensively in the early minutes of the third quarter to, hitting five 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the quarter to take control of the game.

The freshman duo of point guard Presley Hudson and forward Reyna Frost led the way. The pair combined for 40 percent of the team's scoring. Hudson finished with 17 points and Frost finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and three steals.

The Chippewas did not have any scorers in double digits in the first half, Saturday. The Broncos forced eight CMU turnovers in the first twenty minutes, but CMU carried a 31-23 lead at the 6:55 mark in the second quarter.

A Meredith Shipman 3-pointer with .05 remaining in the half capped off a 12-4 WMU scoring run that tied the game 35-35 heading into the intermission.

Head Coach Sue Guevara said she was not happy in the locker room, mainly because the Broncos' 57 percent 3-point percentage.

"We knew who their shooters were," Guevara said. "They hit a 3-point shot to end the second quarter and we were switching one through five and she had a wide open 3-pointer. It baffled my mind."

She said the easiest, most basic defense to play is switching one-through-five in the man-to-man defense, which CMU usually runs defensively.

"I talked a lot about accountability and game plan (during halftime), but also getting down and attacking down on (WMU's) end," Guevara said.

The Chippewas started the third quarter attacking at the WMU end, knocking down five 3-pointers in under five minutes. Hudson hit the first two, followed by two more from sophomore forward Cassie Breen, who finished with nine points, and another from junior transfer Jasmine Harris.

Harris, junior forward Jewel Cotton and sophomore guard Amani Corley combined for 18 points off the bench.

CMU's early scoring barrage extended its lead to 14 at the 4:58 mark in the third quarter, 53-39.

The Broncos would come back, however, holding CMU scoreless for six minutes as WMU snapped off an 8-0 scoring streak. The Broncos trailed by seven points heading into the final ten minutes.

"We withstood ourselves down the end of the third quarter Guevara said. "I thought defensively, we clamped down. We started out strong, had a little bit of let up and then kept up and came back."

The Broncos were without leading scorer senior forward Miracle Woods, who scored 18 points — 16 in the fourth quarter — against the Chippewas in CMU's 53-51 victory over WMU on Jan. 27 at McGuirk Arena.

CMU travels south to Savage Arena to play the Rockets of Toledo (16-11, 11-5 MAC) at 7 p.m. on March 2. CMU lost to UT 81-79 in overtime on Feb. 20. CMU can clinch sole possession of the MAC West title with a win, Wednesday.