Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Men Hit the Road
2/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - When you're in the hunt, every game is big, and you have to be on high alert, particularly when playing a team for the second time in a season.
The Central Michigan men's basketball team heads to Athens, Ohio Tuesday night for a Mid-American Conference game against Ohio.
The Chippewas (16-5, 6-4) are coming off an emotional home win Saturday over archrival Western Michigan that left them alone in second place in the MAC West, one game behind first-place Toledo.
The Bobcats (9-12, 4-6) have won two straight. Their last loss came 10 days ago at CMU, 74-69. The Chippewas go to Buffalo on Saturday, another team they beat on their home floor earlier this season.
"We know what a difficult place it is to play there in Athens and we'll need to continue to give great effort, but also be able to withstand runs that they'll have and the always-intense crowd that they bring," CMU coach Keno Davis said.
The Chippewas trailed by nine at halftime by 13 well into the second half on Saturday against Western before rallying. It was another chapter in what is unfolding as a breakthrough season for the Chippewas under Davis, who is in his third year as CMU's coach.
That CMU is squarely in the hunt for the MAC West title past the midway point in the conference slate may be a surprise to many, not only in the league, but across the country, considering that the Chippewas won a combined 21 games in the past two seasons.
"I don't know that we're one of those teams that people look to as being at the top of the conference," Davis said. "I think there's 10 teams that you might look at that are all pretty equal in quality as well as in record.
"Any one of us could make a run or any one of us could go on a losing streak. It's just that kind of a season. I don't think that Ohio will look at us as being the favored team. If anything I think they'll look at being at home and that they lost a close one on the road (to us) and that (Tuesday's) game is one they feel like they not only can get, but probably should get."
The Bobcats feature a balanced lineup with Javarez Willis and Maurice Daly Ndour averaging just over 15 points each. Ndour is the leading rounder at 8.5 per game, while Antonio Campbell checks in at 10 points and 7 rebounds per.
Willis had 14 points and Ndour had 11 points and 14 rebounds in Ohio's loss to the Chippewas at McGuirk Arena earlier this season.
Central Michigan junior guard Chris Fowler was named the MAC West player of the week after scoring a combined 59 points last week in an overtime loss to Bowling Green and the win over the Broncos. Fowler's 42 points against the Falcons were a career-high, a McGuirk Arena record, the most by a MAC player this season, and the third-highest single-game total in the country this season.
It's the second time this season that Fowler has earned the honor. He leads CMU in scoring at 15.8 points per game, while John Simons is averaging 11.8 and is the team's top rebounder at 6.1 per.
Fowler injured his right thumb in the loss to Bowling Green and his hand was wrapped for Saturday's game against Western Michigan, during which he led the Chippewas with 17 points and nine assists. Fowler ranks 13th in the nation at 6.0 assists per game.
The Chippewas are averaging 80.9 points per game, which ranks sixth nationally.
CMU starting guard Rayshawn Simmons has been nursing an ankle injury, but appears to be nearing full strength.
The injury has limited Fowler's practice time, but it's a common malady in any given season, Davis said.
"As a coach I think it's important to take all of your injuries and bumps and bruises into consideration of how you prepare the team," he said. "You consider the work they need on the court versus the rest they need.
"I think we try to rest those guys that have those bumps and bruises throughout the day, throughout the week, knowing that we might not be as sharp in our execution because of it. But we err towards having the health of our guys to try to win games.
"You're fortunate if you go through a year where it doesn't happen to your key players. But you're always going to have a few guys who aren't going to be at 100 percent, and those teams that have their main guys be able to stay healthy throughout the year have a big advantage."
