Central Michigan University
Buffalo
Keene Breaks Scoring Mark In CMU Loss
2/14/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - One possession, one rebound.
On a night that Marcus Keene set Central Michigan's single-season scoring record, the Chippewas needed a little more.
Willie Conner scored 22 points and CJ Massinburg added 20 as Buffalo fought off a frantic Chippewa rally, handing CMU a 99-93 Mid-American Conference loss on Tuesday at McGuirk Arena.
"Toughness," CMU junior Josh Kozinski said. "We need to have toughness. We got killed on the boards. Props to Buffalo. The tougher team won tonight. One rebound away. We let it go."
Braylon Rayson scored 28 points, Keene had 27 and Kozinski finished with 15 to lead the Chippewas, who slipped to 16-10, 6-7 MAC. Buffalo is 14-12, 8-5.
Keene surpassed all-time great Dan Majerle, who scored 759 points in 1987-88. A junior in his first year at CMU after transferring from Youngstown State, Keene now has scored 775 points this season.
He entered the game as the nation's leading scoring, averaging 29.9 points per game. He has scored at least 30 points 14 times this season, five times has scored 40 or more, and his 50-point effort against Miami (Ohio) on Jan. 21 ranks as the highest-scoring game by an NCAA Division I player in four season.
"I was asked the first seven or eight games into the season, 'Can he keep that pace?' CMU coach Keno Davis said, reflecting on his response to the question posed to him back in November. "And I said, 'No, it doesn't happen. Nobody keeps that pace. He's had some great games and we should enjoy it, but he's going to have off nights.'
"Well he's had off nights, but not very many. His off night for the most part is 26, 27 points or where he's had an off stretch or an off half. But he's been able to come up with big plays and I thought he did that again tonight."
One of those "off" halves came in the first 20 minutes Tuesday against the Bulls, when he went into halftime with just four points, all coming on free throws and the Chippewas trailed, 42-36.
CMU's deficit swelled as high as 15 points midway through the second half.
Then the Chippewas made a charge, tying it, 93-93, on a four-point play by Rayson with 1:19 left.
But it was the last points CMU would score on the night. Massinburg hit a short jumper with 42 seconds left to put Buffalo back in front, and then he went 4-for-4 from the foul line to ice it.
Buffalo outrebounded the Chippewas, 49-33. CMU made 14 of its 29 3-point attempts (48.3 percent), but the Bulls were nearly as deadly from long range, knocking down 16 of 37 triple tries (43.2 percent).
It was the Bulls' fifth-consecutive victory.
"Buffalo came in here playing not just as well as anybody, but probably better than anybody in this league," Davis said. "We knew we weren't catching them at the right time.
"Really enjoyed the way our team fought when it seemed that everything was going against us and that this game could get run out both in the first half and the second half. To have a tie game on the last possession you like your chances the way this team has been able to perform."
While clearly disappointed in the loss, Davis was looking forward and not back, and he put into perspective what his star guard, who stands just 5-foot-9, has done in his first season in a CMU uniform.
"When you think of his journey," Davis said, "it's not the 5-star or the highly valued recruit coming out of high school, it didn't work out at Youngstown State, he comes here and sits out (under NCAA transfer rules).
"He's bided his time and for him to get some recognition I think it's well deserved. I think it's a sign of great things to come for him and his future in basketball, and I think it's also another step for our program. I think you're going to see bigger and better things both for individuals and the team and how they're going to represent CMU on the basketball court and off the court."
