Central Michigan University Athletics
Missouri Tops Chippewas in Season Opener, 87-76
11/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
COLUMBIA, Mo. Freshmen Jeremy Allen and Chase Simon both hit double figures in their Chippewa debuts but the Central Michigan University Chippewas dropped an 87-76 decision at Missouri on Monday night in first-round action of the O’Reilly Auto Parts College Basketball Experience Classic.
Allen tallied 17 points and Simon 14 for the Chippewas who fell in their fifth straight season opener. CMU now plays Central Missouri in the regional consolation on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 4:30 p.m. CST (5:30 p.m. in Michigan).
The Chippewas led for the first seven minutes of the game and held a 21-17 advantage with 9:13 remaining in the first half, but DeMarre Carroll led the Tigers on a 12-0 run by scoring nine points during the stretch and Missouri never trailed again.
Carroll, playing in his first game for Missouri after transferring from Vanderbilt, finished with game highs of 23 points and eight rebounds. He gave the Tigers a 10-point lead on a jumper with 41 seconds in the first half but Robbie Harman scored five points for CMU in the final seven seconds of the frame, trimming the margin to 43-38 at the break.
CMU stayed in the game in the first half with 56 percent shooting from behind the arc, going 5-for-9. However, the Chippewas made just 2-of-8 trey attempts in the second stanza.
Missouri forced 18 CMU turnovers with its full court pressure while the Tigers committed just nine miscues.
Foul problems hampered CMU in the game as three Chippewas fouled out, including returning first team All-MAC selection Giordan Watson. He was held to seven points in 22 minutes after picking up his second foul just over three minutes into the game.
Missouri led by as many as 15 in the second half and CMU managed to trim the margin down to nine in the closing minute but that’s as close as the Chippewas could get.
Chris Kellermann added 13 points and five rebounds off the bench and Harman finished with nine points. Marcus Van notched seven points and five rebounds while Nate Minnoy had six points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Four of the five Missouri Tiger starters hit double figures with Leo Lyons adding 18 and Keon Lawrence and Stefhon Hannah 10 each.
NOTES:
Jeremy Allen’s 17 points in his Chippewa debut tied teammate Jordan Bitzer for the highest scoring CMU freshman debut since Thomas Kilgore dropped 35 against Iona in 1994. Bitzer had 17 against UMKC in his first game last season.
The game’s top two scorers, Missouri’s DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons, were a combined 18-for-21 from the floor.
Giordan Watson needs two points to move into 10th on CMU’s career scoring chart past Dave Nelson’s total of 1,262.
True freshmen Jeremy Allen and Chase Simon both started the game marking the first time CMU had two true freshmen in the starting lineup for the season opener since 1998 when former high school teammates David Webber and Mike Manciel (Detroit Country Day) both started. Webber went on to earn MAC Player of the Year honors in 2001 and Manciel was the MAC Freshman of the Year in 1999.
Chippewa newcomers Jeremy Allen, Chase Simon, Marcus Van and Nate Minnoy accounted for 58 percent of CMU’s offensive output.
Three of Allen’s five field goals were three-pointers. He played a team-high 38 minutes.
CMU falls to 0-4 all-time against schools from the Big 12 Conference.
Allen tallied 17 points and Simon 14 for the Chippewas who fell in their fifth straight season opener. CMU now plays Central Missouri in the regional consolation on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 4:30 p.m. CST (5:30 p.m. in Michigan).
The Chippewas led for the first seven minutes of the game and held a 21-17 advantage with 9:13 remaining in the first half, but DeMarre Carroll led the Tigers on a 12-0 run by scoring nine points during the stretch and Missouri never trailed again.
Carroll, playing in his first game for Missouri after transferring from Vanderbilt, finished with game highs of 23 points and eight rebounds. He gave the Tigers a 10-point lead on a jumper with 41 seconds in the first half but Robbie Harman scored five points for CMU in the final seven seconds of the frame, trimming the margin to 43-38 at the break.
CMU stayed in the game in the first half with 56 percent shooting from behind the arc, going 5-for-9. However, the Chippewas made just 2-of-8 trey attempts in the second stanza.
Missouri forced 18 CMU turnovers with its full court pressure while the Tigers committed just nine miscues.
Foul problems hampered CMU in the game as three Chippewas fouled out, including returning first team All-MAC selection Giordan Watson. He was held to seven points in 22 minutes after picking up his second foul just over three minutes into the game.
Missouri led by as many as 15 in the second half and CMU managed to trim the margin down to nine in the closing minute but that’s as close as the Chippewas could get.
Chris Kellermann added 13 points and five rebounds off the bench and Harman finished with nine points. Marcus Van notched seven points and five rebounds while Nate Minnoy had six points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Four of the five Missouri Tiger starters hit double figures with Leo Lyons adding 18 and Keon Lawrence and Stefhon Hannah 10 each.
NOTES:
Jeremy Allen’s 17 points in his Chippewa debut tied teammate Jordan Bitzer for the highest scoring CMU freshman debut since Thomas Kilgore dropped 35 against Iona in 1994. Bitzer had 17 against UMKC in his first game last season.
The game’s top two scorers, Missouri’s DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons, were a combined 18-for-21 from the floor.
Giordan Watson needs two points to move into 10th on CMU’s career scoring chart past Dave Nelson’s total of 1,262.
True freshmen Jeremy Allen and Chase Simon both started the game marking the first time CMU had two true freshmen in the starting lineup for the season opener since 1998 when former high school teammates David Webber and Mike Manciel (Detroit Country Day) both started. Webber went on to earn MAC Player of the Year honors in 2001 and Manciel was the MAC Freshman of the Year in 1999.
Chippewa newcomers Jeremy Allen, Chase Simon, Marcus Van and Nate Minnoy accounted for 58 percent of CMU’s offensive output.
Three of Allen’s five field goals were three-pointers. He played a team-high 38 minutes.
CMU falls to 0-4 all-time against schools from the Big 12 Conference.
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