Central Michigan University Athletics
Men's Basketball vs. Buffalo: Game Notes
2/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Live Audio | Live Video | Live Stats | Game Notes
MOUNT PLEASANT -- In a battle of the titans, the two division leaders in the Mid-American Conference will colide at Rose Center on Saturday, as the Central Michigan men's basketball team plays host to the Kent State Golden Flashes. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
CMU (11-9, 6-2 MAC) leads the West Division by a half-game over Ball State while KSU (16-7, 7-2) paces the East by a half-game over Akron and Miami.
There will be live stats available, as well as a live audio stream of 95.3 WCFX-FM's local broadcast, to all fans. Live video of the contest will also be available to CMU Sports Zone subscribers.
All-Time Series -- The Chippewas are 29-39 all-time against the Golden Flashes in a series that dates back to 1950. Kent State does own a current eight-game winning streak in the series, dating back to the 2002-03 MAC Tournament when Central claimed the MAC title, beating Kent State 77-67 in the finals. The Chippewas are 0-14 since 1997-98 in the regular season against the Flashes.
Keys to the Game -- CMU and KSU are both among the top-four teams in league defense, but the Flashes rank second in offense at 72.8 points per game (thanks to a MAC-best 46 percent team field goal mark) while the Chippewas sit seventh at 66.0.
Three's the Magic Number -- CMU sits second in the MAC in three-point pct. during league play (37 pct.) while KSU sits third (35 pct.). The two teams are also in the top-three defending the three (KSU - 25 pct./CMU 28 pct.)
Swarming ‘D’ -- The Chippewas are fourth in the MAC in league defense at 61.5 points per conference game, and are holding league opponents to 39.5 percent from the field, the second-best mark in the MAC.
• CMU held Ball State to just 38 points and 24 percent from the floor in on Jan 13 in a 53-38 victory at Rose Center. The 38 points are the fewest CMU has allowed to a Division-I opponent since 1950 and third-fewest to any opponent in that stretch.
• CMU is holdong opponents to just 28 percent from beyond the arc in MAC play, the third-best mark in the conference.
Zeigler Against the MAC -- Fourth-year head coach Ernie Zeigler is 28-28 (.500) against the Mid-American Conference.
Keep ‘em Under 70 -- Of Ernie Zeigler’s 50 career wins at CMU, the Chippewas have held the opponent under 70 points in 40 of them. CMU is 40-21 (.656) when holding the opposition under 70 points under Zeigler.
Need to Clean the Glass -- CMU was 4-13 a year ago when it was outrebounded by its opponent. This season, the Chippewas are 2-7 when being outrebounded and 9-2 when holding the edge on the glass.
Keeping Up With Kaman -- Chris Kaman is in his seventh season as a starter for the Los Angeles Clippers after getting drafted sixth overall in the 2003 NBA Draft. He tied for the third-highest draft pick in MAC history. As of Feb. 2, he is averaging 20.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 36.4 minutes. He has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week twice this season. Kaman is LA’s leading scorer and is second on the team in boards. He’s scored at least 20 points 26 times through 41 games and has 17 double-doubles
Gotta Get to 40 -- CMU beat USF despite shooting 37 percent from the floor. It snapped a streak of 14 straight losses when shooting less than 40 percent dating back to the 2008-09 season opener, when CMU shot 34 percent against Princeton in a 55-53 win. The Chippewas are now 3-5 when shooting under 40 this season after going 1-11 a year ago.
Whistles Unkind to CMU -- In Ernie Zeigler’s 113 games as head coach at CMU, the Chippewas have been called for fewer fouls than the opponent just 25 times (22 percent of the time). In the 25 games when CMU was called for fewer fouls, the Chippewas are 21-4 (.840). The Chippewas have been whistled for fewer fouls four times this season (4-0).
Fire When Ready -- Central Michigan leads the MAC in made threes per league contest (7.6) and connect at the second-best rate in conference action at 37.2 percent.
Double-Figures -- Entering the season, CMU had six double-digit victories over MAC schools under head coach Ernie Zeigler, four of which came against Northern Illinois. In 2009-10, three of Central Michigan’s six league victories have been by a margin of 10 or more.
There’s No Place Like Home -- CMU owns a +12.7 scoring margin at Rose Center (73.5 ppg/60.8 points allowed) but finds itself -6.8 on the road (58.2 ppg/66.2 points allowed). The Chippewas have shot 46 percent at Rose Center this season, 38 percent everywhere else. There’s also a 66-point difference beyond the arc (.404-.338) for CMU at home.
Home Sweet Home -- CMU is 286-182 in its 37 seasons played in Rose Center.
Rose is Blooming With Wins -- With CMU's win over Buffalo on Feb. 4, the Chippewas clinched a winning record at home for the third straight season and the seventh time in the last 11 years. Central is 28-17 at Rose Center under Ernie Zeigler, 7-1 in 2009-10.
CMU Fast Break:
• CMU is 35-10 under Ernie Zeigler when leading at halftime.
• Robbie Harman and Jordan Bitzer have combined for 551 of CMU’s 1,286 points this season (43 pct.).
• The six threes by Harman against Princeton (11/14/09) are the most by a Chippewa since Harman hit seven against Illinois State on Dec. 17, 2008. Harman hit six more vs. UIC (11/18/09).
• CMU hit a season-best 12 three-pointers vs. UIC (11/18/09). The Chippewas hit double-figure treys just four times a year ago and have already splashed 10-plus treys three times in 2009-10.
• The Chippewas are averaging 7.1 treys per contest in 2009-10 after connecting from long distance just 5.3 times per contest a year ago.
