Central Michigan University
Bowling Green
Chippewas Hold Off Bowling Green for Second-Straight Win
1/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Marcus Keene didn't get to 50, and Central Michigan didn't get to 100.
But the Chippewas got a win, and at the end of the day, that's what it's all about.
Keene and Braylon Rayson combined to score 55 points, freshman David DiLeo added 14, and Luke Meyer tied his career-high with 13 rebounds Tuesday as CMU defeated Bowling Green, 82-76, in a Mid-American Conference men's basketball game before 2,528 at McGuirk Arena.
It was CMU's third win in its last four starts as it improved to 13-7, 3-4 MAC. Bowling Green is 8-12, 2-5. The Chippewas go to Kent State (11-9, 3-4) for a league game on Saturday (noon).
Tuesday's game wasn't nearly as flashy as Saturday's 101-92 win over Miami (Ohio), when Keene set the McGuirk-Arena record with a career-high 50 points. This one was more about grit, rebounding and two axioms as old as the game itself -- making free throws during crunch time and playing defense.
"For us to be able to win on an off-shooting night, to be able to win with our defense, is a great sign moving forward," CMU coach Keno Davis said.
The Chippewas made just 38.2 percent of their field goal attempts and they were held to single digits (eight) in 3-pointers for just the third time this season. But they knocked down 22 of their 26 free throw attempts, including their last eight over the final 34 seconds.
They also outrebounded the Falcons, 50-49, marking just the second time in their last 11 games that the Chippewas have out-boarded an opponent.
"We've been working almost completely on our defense and our rebounding in practice," Davis said. "Not as much fun for our players having defense and rebounding practice … we know how important the defense is for us to improve. I think you saw some strides in that. The idea is to be a little bit better each game, each day that you come out, and I think if you look back a couple weeks ago defensively and rebounding, we've definitely made some improvement in those areas."
Cecil Williams added eight rebounds for the Chippewas and made two big plays on the defensive end - a steal and a rebound -- in the closing minute and change to help keep the Falcons at bay.
"I think he won us the game," Rayson said. "I really think he won us the game, just off his effort."
Keene, the nation's leading scorer at 29.8 points per game, scored 28 while Rayson had 27. The pair finished a combined 4-for-21 from 3-point range, but they teamed to go 17-for-21 from the line.
The Chippewas led by 12, 42-30, at halftime and their lead never dipped below nine points until nearly nine remained. The Falcons kept coming, and four times crept to within four points, the last with 4 seconds remaining.
Rayson, Keene and DiLeo combined to go 8-for-8 from the line over the final 23 seconds.
