Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
IU Kokomo
Four Double-Doubles Fuel Season-Opening Win
11/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jim Knight, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich - Marcus Keene looks perfectly comfortable in a Central Michigan basketball uniform.
The junior guard transferred from Youngstown State after liking what he saw when the Penguins faced CMU in 2014. After sitting out last season, he finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds Friday and showed a flair for the moment in Central Michigan's 117-53 season-opening victory against Indiana University Kokomo at McGuirk Arena.
Holding the ball behind the 3-point line as the final seconds of the first half ticked off, Keene waved off a screen, stepped back and hit the shot. And smiled.
"I think what we saw out of Marcus is what we see every day in practice," CMU Coach Keno Davis said. "Tremendously gifted player. A guy who can put points up in a hurry and a guy who wants to get better."
Keene blended with senior guard Braylon Rayson, even to the point where they both sported white headbands, white sleeves on their right arms and a willingness to take a 3-pointer or drive for layups. They sat together in the post-game press conference.
"This was a good confidence booster for us," Keene said. "The other team, they did play hard and hung with us early. But I think we really wore them down."
Rayson, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds, liked that the Chippewas outrebounded IU Kokomo, 72-32.
"We rebounded well," Rayson said. "That was one of our weaknesses coming into the season. We came out and filled that stat sheet with rebounds. Four guys with double-doubles in rebounding. That's big."
Cecil Williams, a 6-foot-6 forward who transferred from a community college in Missouri, worked inside for four defensive rebounds. He finished with his own double-double night of 10 rebounds and 16 points. He set a McGuirk Arena record by taking 17 free throws. He made 14.
Freshmen forward David DiLeo and guards Kevin McKay and Matty Smith were part of the rotation. DiLeo scored his first points as a college player with a 3-pointer and finished with 10 points. McKay had 15 rebounds and 11 points in 18 minutes of action. Smith played 20 minutes and had five points and three assists.
Davis said he expects the freshmen to continue to earn playing time.
"We're going to have to live with some growing pains," Davis said. "We can't just play our veteran players. We're going to have to get guys experience not just in games where you stretch out but in games that are tight. The only way they get better is by being thrown out there, and sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't."
McKay hit the free throw with 5:09 remaining to give CMU a 100-51 lead. It is the first time the Chippewas have scored more than 100 in a game since a 125-80 victory against Central Penn on Jan. 2, 2015.
Central Michigan plays Monday at Tennessee Tech (8:30 p.m.) and is home Thursday against Marygrove in a 7 p.m. game.
