Central Michigan University
Eastern Michigan
Chippewas Drop MAC Opener
1/3/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
YPSILANTI, Mich. - A four-point game at halftime turned into a nightmare in the second half for the Central Michigan men's basketball team.
Eastern Michigan outscored the Chippewas, 51-33, over the final 20 minutes Tuesday in handing CMU an 85-63 loss in the Mid-American Conference opener.
The Chippewas entered as the nation's sixth-highest scoring team at 91.2 points per game, but were held to their lowest output of the season by EMU's stingy zone defense.
"When you try to win on the road, which is never easy to do, we need good things to happen and we didn't make enough good things happen," CMU coach Keno Davis said. "I think we'll take this as a learning experience and know that if we can get a split on the road to open the season …"
The Chippewas (10-4) play at Northern Illinois (8-6) on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies opened MAC play on Tuesday with 69-67 loss at Miami (Ohio).
The Eagles (9-5), who were picked to win the MAC West in the preseason poll, forced CMU into a season-high 17 turnovers and limited Marcus Keene to 22 points. Keene, CMU's junior guard, entered the game averaging a best-in-the-nation 30.7 points per game.
"It's so tough to simulate Eastern Michigan's defense and the length (they have) and the zone that they play," Davis said. "Hopefully our guys understand some of the mistakes that they made and why Eastern Michigan's so good is that when they force those turnovers they (go) for dunks on the other end and that can change the game. Felt like it did tonight."
Braylon Rayson, CMU's second-leading scorer, added 15 points. Rayson and Keene finished a combined 10-for-34 from the floor. The Chippewas made just 20 field goals for a season-worst .328 field goal percentage.
Baylee Steele and James Thompson IV scored 18 points apiece to lead five Eagles in double figures. They also had 10 rebounds each as the Eagles finished with a 48-38 edge on the boards.
The 6-foot-10 Thompson, who picked up two early fouls and spent most of the first half on the bench, scored 14 of his points in the second half.
The Eagles led, 34-30, at the break and used a 9-3 spurt early in the second half to extend their lead to 13, 51-38, with under 14 minutes to play. CMU never seriously threatened after that and never got its deficit under double digits.
The Chippewas had won six of seven entering Tuesday's game. After going to NIU on Saturday, CMU returns to McGuirk Arena to play MAC preseason favorite Akron and Toledo.
"I told (the players) that nobody had picked us to go 18-0 in the conference, winning on the road is tough, Eastern's picked to win the (division) - doesn't mean the season's over," Davis said. "Two years ago 12-6 won this conference and it won't surprise me a bit if that happens again.
"Sometimes you get better from your losses and we have to make sure that we stay together when we have one loss because there's a lot of basketball left to play."
