No. 3 Michigan routs Western Michigan

• Burke scores 20, dishes out seven assists in Wolverine victory over Western Michigan
• Broncos, winners of six straight coming in, turn the ball over 13 times in the first half
• Michigan off to first 8-0 start since 1996-97

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Trey Burke had 20 points and seven assists, and No. 3 Michigan eased past Western Michigan for a 73-41 victory Tuesday night.

The Wolverines (8-0) had actually lost their previous two games against the Broncos, but that was more than a decade ago. Western Michigan (6-2) had won six straight coming into this game, including a victory over South Florida, but the Broncos wasted a chance to stay with the Wolverines, turning the ball over 13 times in the first half.

Nik Stauskas scored 11 points for Michigan, and fellow freshman Mitch McGary added 10 on 5-of-5 shooting.

Freshman Darius Paul had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Western Michigan.

It is Michigan's first 8-0 start since 1996-97.

The Wolverines weren't all that sharp offensively, especially early, but Western Michigan couldn't take advantage. The Broncos committed several fouls at the offensive end in the first half, and Michigan led 25-15 after a layup by Glenn Robinson III. Jordan Morgan pushed the lead to a dozen with a layup of his own, and it was 35-21 at halftime.

The Wolverines put the game away early in the second half. Stauskas made a 3-pointer to make it 45-28, and Robinson and Burke added old-fashioned three-point plays to make it a 23-point game.

It was 51-34 before Michigan padded the margin with a 22-2 run. A 3-pointer by Tim Hardaway Jr. made it 66-36, and Burke connected moments later from beyond the arc.

For much of the night, Michigan threatened its worst shooting percentage of the season, but the Wolverines actually ended up right at 50 percent. It was the Broncos who really went through a nightmare at the offensive end, shooting 29 percent from the field, going 2 of 17 from 3-point range and finishing with 18 turnovers.

Michigan was coming off a bit of a test last weekend, when the Wolverines won 74-66 at Bradley. They'll face another interesting nonconference matchup when Arkansas visits Ann Arbor on Saturday.

Paul was the only Western Michigan player in double figures, and he shot 3 of 12. The Broncos' winning streak may have been a bit deceptive, with the last three victories coming by a combined 10 points.