Central Michigan University
Toledo
Rebounding Pushes CMU to Key MAC Victory
1/13/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Keno Davis didn't see the nation's leading scorer go down. Central Michigan guard Marcus Keene was prone on the floor and slapped the court in pain and frustration late in the first half. He was helped out of McGuirk Arena by trainers.
"I didn't see it," said Davis, CMU's coach. "I was, uh, having a conversation with an official."
CMU owned a 34-25 lead against Toledo at the time. The question: How would the Chippewas respond with Keene and his 29.3 points per game average gone?
No worries. Reserves DaRohn Scott, David DiLeo and Matty Smith worked with steady Braylon Rayson to maintain the lead into halftime. A solid second half -- and the return of Keene -- helped CMU beat Toledo, 96-88, on Friday for its first Mid-American Conference victory of the season.
"When he went down with an injury, we knew we had to pick it up," Rayson said. "He's our leading scorer, the nation's leading scorer, so we knew what we had to do."
CMU is 11-6 overall, 1-3 in the MAC, and found an answer against another strong big man. This game, the Chippewas worked against Toledo's Steve Taylor Jr., a 6-foot-9, 240-pounder who finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Rockets, 9-8 overall, 2-2 in the MAC.
"It feels good to win, feels good to win," Rayson said. "Got to get that one, now we've got to get two in a row."
The key on Friday, Davis said, was rebounding. For the first time since a victory against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 3, the Chippewas outrebounded an opponent. Seven CMU players had four or more rebounds as the Chippewas outrebounded Toledo, 44-37.
"That was a bigger team," Davis said. "Stronger team. To be able to outrebound them, it turned out to be the difference in the game."
Keene finished with 20 points and seven rebounds. He returned early in the second half. Rayson led Central with 28 points and had five rebounds and four assists. DiLeo, a freshman, finished with 17 points and four rebounds. Luke Meyer, a junior center-forward, had 11 points and six rebounds.
"That's as much Braylon Rayson and Marcus Keene getting five and seven rebounds as it is Luke and DaRohn being able to hold down that center spot," Davis said. "When we do it as a team, we can outrebound anybody in this league. But when we don't, we're going to have long nights in front of us."
Meyer said after facing Akron's Isaiah Johnson, the Chippewas knew what they were facing. Practice, he said, also helped.
"Our scout team has been doing really well in terms of preparing us for the two teams we've played recently, and give credit to them for getting us ready," Meyer said. "Other than that, we just try to go out and stay as focused as possible and play as hard as possible."
Central is at Ball State on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. game. The Chippewas' next home game is at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 21 against Miami (Ohio).
