Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Eye First 2-0 Start Since 2002-03
11/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Central Michigan Game Notes 
| Youngstown State Game Notes
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Central Michigan men's basketball team will attempt to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2002-03 on Tuesday when the Chippewas play host to Youngstown State in a non-conference game at McGuirk Arena.
The Penguins (1-1) opened the season with a 69-61 loss to Kent State on Saturday. On Sunday, they bounced back with a 71-53 victory over Oberlin (Ohio) College.
The Chippewas opened with a 106-64 win over Alma on Friday. Both Alma and Oberlin are Division III schools. Tuesday's game tips off at 7 p.m.
Bobby Hain and Shawn Amiker are Youngstown State's leading scorers at 18.5 and 16.5 points per game, respectively. Hain, a 6-foot-10 junior forward, is also the top rebounder at 9.5 per game.
The Chippewas, who return all five starters from last year's 10-21 squad, rolled past Alma on Friday, allowing third-year coach Keno Davis to liberally spread playing time.
Eleven of the 13 Chippewas who played logged at least 12 minutes. Five Chippewas scored in double figures, led by Blake Hibbitts who finished with 14.
The storyline of the opener was the involvement of CMU's three freshmen big men, DaRohn Scott, Luke Meyer and Milos Cabarkapa. The trio combined for 29 points and 17 rebounds.
As the season unfolds, the hope is the Chippewas can get that kind of the production from all three combined at the center position.
"It's going to be nice to watch those three guys rotate and as they improve knowing that they're going to squeeze playing time and we're going to have to figure that out as a coaching staff," coach Keno Davis said after Friday's game. "It's a nice position to be in right now."
Another bright spot on Friday was redshirt freshman guard Josh Kozinski, who scored a career-high 12 points - all on three-pointers.
Kozinski was four of eight from beyond the three-point arc in the game. As a true freshman last season, Kozinski was nine of 42 from the floor. All his attempts were three-pointers.
"I would like him to add in a layup or two, but I don't want him to put his toe on the line just to get a two-point attempt in there," Davis said. "He's really developed lately as being more than one-dimensional.
"Where he's come since he's been here in the other parts of the game really is getting overshadowed by how good a three-point shooter he is. But I think he can be pretty versatile the next couple of years."
CMU is 4-2 all time against the Penguins. They last met in 2012-13 with Youngstown State winning, 86-75.
The Chippewas host the Central Michigan Tournament this weekend. Maine, Arkansas Pine-Bluff and Valparaiso round out the tournament field.
The Chippewas play Maine at 7 p.m. Friday and Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Valparaiso and Pine Pluff open the event on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Maine and Valparaiso are scheduled to play at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
