Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
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Western Mich
CMU Men's Basketball Dumps Broncos
2/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2002
MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan University put the end to a two-game losing skid with a hard-fought Mid-American Conference men's basketball victory over arch-rival Western Michigan here Monday night, 70-67.
The win upped CMU's record to 7-11 for the season and 4-6 in MAC play while the visiting Broncos fell to 10-11 overall and 3-7 in league action.
Central trailed by a 64-60 margin with 3:50 to play when the Chippewas' Chris Kaman netted four points (a basket followed by a CMU rebound of a missed Kaman free throw and two free throws by the 7-0 center) on one trip down the floor to tie it at 64-64 with 3:18 left.
The Chippewas went ahead for good on a pair of free throws by Chad Pleiness, 66-64, with 2:30 remaining. Pleiness gave Central some more breathing room when he converted a twisting layup and was fouled. His free throw upped the lead to 69-64 with 16 seconds to go to ice it.
Senior David Webber powered the CMU attack with 16 points while Pleiness added 15 and grabbed eight caroms and Kaman netted 14 and nine boards. Pleiness had 13 points in the second half.
WMU was led by Robby Collum with 19 points followed by Steve Reynolds with 13.
Central hit 23-of-47 shots from the field for 48.9 percent while Western was at 44.6 on 25-of-56. The Chippewas held a 37-25 edge in rebounding which helped them win despite 21 turnovers.
CMU hits the road on Wednesday, Feb. 6, for a MAC tilt at Toledo before returning to Rose Arena on Saturday, Feb. 8, to play conference-leading Kent State at 4 p.m.
