Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
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Western Mich
Pleiness Leads Men's Basketball To First MAC Win
1/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2000
MOUNT PLEASANT -- The Central Michigan University men's basketball team (4-10 overall, 1-4 Mid-American Conference) picked up its first conference win on the season with an 88-72 win over Western Michigan University (5-9, 1-4 Mid-American Conference) on Saturday afternoon in Rose Arena.
The win stopped a nine-game CMU losing skid. The victory was Central's first since beating Rochester College by an 81-63 count on Dec. 1.
The Chippewas took an 11-0 lead in the opening minutes of the game while holding the Broncos off the scoreboard until the 11:58 mark when Jon Powell hit a three-pointer to make it 11-3. Western Michigan tied it up two different times before the Chippewas regained the lead for good on a jumper by Dan Schell to make it 21-19 with 6:31 to go. CMU extended its lead to as many as nine points before the Broncos closed the gap to 37-31 at the break. Powell was key to the Bronco first-half comeback scoring 20 points including four three-pointers.
Powell opened the second half with a three-pointer to pull WMU within three points (37-34) but the Chippewas went on a 15-3 run to make it 54-39 with 13:45 to play. The Broncos got as close as 10 points late in the game but Tim Kisner hit four free throws and Jon Borovich a pair to put the game away for the Chippewas.
Chad Pleiness led the Chippewas with a season-best 17 points and seven rebounds. He shot 6-of-12 from the floor and five-of-five from the charity strip David Webber added 16, Kisner 15 (12-of-12 from the free throw line) and Schell 13.
Powell led the Broncos with a season-high 27 points while Brad VanTimmeren and Tony Barksdale each added 11. Brad VanTimmeren had a game-high 13 rebounds.
The Chippewas host Bowling Green on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m.
