Feb. 17, 2017
CENTRAL MICHIGAN vs. BALL STATE
|  |  | 16-10, 6-7 MAC
| 16-10, 7-6 MAC |
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| GAME INFO | | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 4:30 p.m. | | Mount Pleasant, Mich. | McGuirk Arena | | BUY TICKETS |
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GAME DAY INFO | | TALENT: Adam Jaksa (PxP), Matt DeVries (analyst) | LISTEN: Central Michigan IMG Sports Network | TALENT: Don Chiodo (PxP), Rob Flaska (analyst) | LIVE STATS: | |
| TALE OF THE TAPE | CMU | BSU | | Points Per Game | 89.5 | 78.8 | | Opponent Points Per Game | 85.0 | 74.4 | | Field Goal Pct. | .431 | .467 | 3-Point Field Goal Pct.
| .368 | .378 | | Free Throw Pct. | .789 | .728 | | Rebounds | 39.7 | 37.8 | | Assists | 12.0 | 16.1 | | Turnovers | 11.5 | 15.5 | | Steals | 5.7 | 6.3 | | Blocks | 2.8 | 3.5 |
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GAME PREVIEW
• Central Michigan (16-10, 6-7 MAC) will open a pivotal five-game stretch versus MAC West opponents to close out regular season play when it hosts division frontrunner Ball State (16-10, 7-6 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 18 in a 4:30 p.m. game at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant.
• First place in the MAC West is on the line when the teams clash on Saturday, as Ball State resides atop the division standings, one game ahead of a logjam of four teams including CMU.
• The Chippewas are coming off a tough 99-93 home loss to Buffalo on Feb. 14 while the Cardinals pulled off a huge 81-72 come-from-behind overtime road win over Northern Illinois in its last outing.
• Central Michigan is 10-2 at home this season, including a 4-2 mark in MAC play, while Ball State owns a 5-5 road record (3-3 vs. the MAC).
• CMU, which has taken three of the last four meetings with Ball State at McGuirk Arena, possesses a 34-63 record in the all-time series with Buffalo, including a 4-5 mark under head coach Keno Davis.
• The Cardinals took game one of the season home-and-home series with the Chippewas, winning 98-83 at Worthen Arena in Muncie on Jan. 17.
• CMU owns a 259-342 all-time record in MAC play, including a 36-52 mark during the Davis era (35-48 in regular season league games).
• The game will feature two of the MAC's top three teams in terms of scoring (CMU, 1st; BSU, 3rd) and free throw shooting (CMU, 1st; BSU, 3rd).
• Central Michigan is ranked No. 161 in the nation in the RPI (4th in the MAC) while Ball State is positioned at No. 205 (7th in the MAC).
• Marcus Keene will be honored before the game for breaking the CMU single season scoring record and the MAC mark for points by a junior.
• ONE TO WATCH: Keene enters Saturday's game five 3-pointers points shy of breaking the program's single season triples record set in 2009-10 by Robbie Harman.
TRENDING
• Central Michigan is seeking a third consecutive winning season for the first time in approximately 40 years (1976-77/1977-78/1978-79).
• CMU is ranked in the top 15 nationally in six stat categories -- No. 1 in 3-point field goals made (334), No. 2 in total 3-point field goals per game (12.8), No. 3 in 3-point field goal attempts (908) and scoring offense (89.5), No. 5 in free throw percentage (.789) and No. 11 in free throws made (495).
• Against Buffalo on Feb. 14, with at least six games still remaining, CMU broke the program record for 3-pointers in season for the third consecutive year. The Chippewas currently have made 334 3s.
Central Michigan is 1 of 2 NCAA Division I teams to feature its conference's top two scorers [Marcus Keene (29.8) and Braylon Rayson (20.7)]. Georgia Southern (Sun Belt) is the other [Ike Smith (19.6) and Tookie Brown (18.1)].
• Central Michigan is just one 1 of 2 NCAA Division I teams to feature two 20-plus point scorers [Marcus Keene (29.8) and Braylon Rayson (20.7)]. Davidson is the other [Jack Gibbs (21.2) and Peyton Aldridge (20.7)].
• Junior guard Marcus Keene ranks No. 1 in the NCAA in points per game (29.8).
• With 27 points against Buffalo and 775 for the year, Keene set the CMU record and the MAC record (for a junior) for points in a single season.
• Keene, who has scored at least 30 points in NCAA-best and CMU-record 14 games, also leads the NCAA in total points scored (775).
• Keene is the first player to post five games of 40-plus points since Gonzaga's Adam Morrison in 2006.
• Keene is No. 1 in the nation in 3-point field goals made (101)
• Keene leads the MAC in free throws made (3rd nationally, 172) and ranks second in assists (5.3 apg).
• Keene's 775 points thus far in 2016-17 ranks tied for 4th on the MAC's single season scoring list, with at least six games remaining.
• Senior guard Braylon Rayson is the MAC's leading active career scorer with 1,745 points.
• Rayson has scored 20 or more points in 12 consecutive MAC games.
• Rayson currently resides in fifth place on the CMU career scoring list (1,745), 30 points behind moving past Giordan Watson and David Webber into third place.
• Rayson resides in second place on the CMU career 3-pointers list (249) and needs eight to break the program record held by John Simons.
• Rayson also recently moved into the top spot on the CMU career 3-point attempts list (710)
Keene (29.8 ppg) and Rayson (20.7) comprise the nation's highest scoring guard tandem, averaging a combined 50.5 points per game.
• Keene (101) and Rayson (98), who each stand 5-9, are CMU's two top defensive rebounders, combining for 27% of the team's defensive boards.
• Junior forward DaRohn Scott, who averages 13.4 minutes per game this season, ranks second in the MAC in blocked shots (31) and is also tied for seventh on the CMU career list (90).
• Three-pointers account for 43% (1,002-2,327) of Central Michigan's points and 52% (908-1,738) of its field goal attempts.
• Over the past eight MAC games, CMU is shooting 84% from the free throw line (147-174).
• Five of CMU's top six players in terms of minutes played shoot .815 or better from the free throw line.
SCOUTING BALL STATE
• Led by four-year head coach James Whitford, Ball State enters Saturday's game coming off a key 81-72 overtime road win over MAC West foe Northern Illinois, which halted a three-game losing streak.
• The Cardinals moved into sole possession of first place in the MAC West with the win over NIU, one-game ahead of a logjam of four other divisional teams.
• Like Central Michigan, Ball State's remaining five games are all against MAC West opponents.
• Ball State is headlined by the inside-outside duo of sophomore guard Tayler Persons and senior forward Franko House.
• Persons, a transfer from Northern Kentucky where he earned Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year honors, leads the Cardinals in scoring (15.2 ppg), assists (137) and steals (42).
• House, who shoots .534 from the field and .802 from the free throw line, ranks second on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.3 rpg).
• House was an All-MAC Second Team and MAC All-Defensive Team choice in 2016.
• Junior guard Sean Sellers, a former MAC Freshman of the Year, averages 9.2 points per game and is one of the MAC's top 3-point shooters (.431, 56-of-130).
• Sophomore center Trey Moses leads BSU in rebounding, averaging 8.7 boards per game, and is an efficient shooter (.558).
• Guard/forward Ryan Weber, a former teammate of CMU's Marcus Keene at Youngstown State, (9.5 ppg, 49 3s), junior guard Francis Kiapway (7.4 ppg, 40 3s) and freshman forward Tahjai Teague (6.9 ppg, 5.6 ppg) are also important contributors.
• Ball State ranks second in the MAC in assists (16.1 apg) and boasts five players on its roster with 35 or more assists.
• The Cardinals also are third in the conference in scoring offense (78.8 ppg), free throw percentage (.730) and field goal percentage (.467).
UP NEXT FOR THE CHIPPEWAS
• Central Michigan will wrap up a three-game homestand with another critical MAC West test when Northern Illinois (14-12, 6-7 MAC) visits McGuirk Arena for a 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
• The divisional game is a rematch of the Jan. 7 contest won by the Huskies, 87-83, in DeKalb, the Chippewas' fourth-consecutive loss in the series on the road.
• CMU owns a 50-56 all-time record versus Northern Illinois, including a 4-5 mark under head coach Keno Davis.
• CMU has won three consecutive games versus NIU in McGuirk Arena, including a hard-fought 76-64 victory last season.
• Northern Illinois is in the midst of a three-game losing streak and hosts Toledo before visiting the Chippewas.
• Next week, Central Michigan will return to the road, visiting Toledo (13-13, 6-7 MAC) for a 6 p.m. game on Friday, Feb. 24.
• The Chippewas took game one of the annual home-and-home series, winning their sixth straight over the Rockets, 96-88, on Jan. 13.
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