Solid Opening Night For CMU Men

Tuesday, November 6

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

7:00 p.m. ET

Central Michigan University

1-0

Concordia (Mich.)

Concordia

Central Michigan

Photo by: Mary Lewandowski

11/6/2018 11:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

McKay scores 27, Austin shines in CMU debut

By: Mitch Vosburg, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Junior Kevin McKay scored 27 points to lead the Central Michigan men's basketball team to a 98-67 nonconference victory over Concordia in the Chippewas' season opener before 2,137 on Tuesday at McGuirk Arena.

Shawn Roundtree Jr. scored 18 points, Larry Austin Jr. had 17, and David DiLeo added 11 for the Chippewas, who streaked to a 14-0 lead and upped their advantage to as many as 19 points in the first half.

The Chippewas were never threatened in the second half as their lead reached as many as 31 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Austin, a graduate transfer from Vanderbilt, made a quick impression in his CMU debut, scoring the game's first four points in sparking the Chippewas' game-opening 14-0 spurt.

The Chippewas made 55.4 percent of their field goal attempts. CMU led, 41-25, at halftime and outscored the Cardinals, 57-42, in the second half.

CMU coach Keno Davis used 14 players. Rob Montgomery, a junior transfer from Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College, shared the team lead with DiLeo in rebounds with nine. CMU finished with a 43-30 rebounding edge.

McKay finished 10-for-13 from the field. CMU's top four scorers – McKay, Roundtree, Austin and DiLeo – finished a combined 27-of-38 from the floor (71 percent).

AUSTIN DAZZLES IN DEBUT
Austin admitted to having first game jitters, but they quickly faded with his first two points as a Chippewa, a dunk just 16 seconds into the game. He made eight of his 10 field goal attempts.

"First game in McGuirk added some nervousness, but after seeing the ball go in the (basket), all that goes away," Austin said.

Coach Keno Davis said Austin has unlimited potential.

"He's a kid who hasn't had a chance to play," Davis said. "He's worked hard, developed his game; great attitude, great person and now he gets a chance to not just be part of a team, but gets a chance to be one of the leaders on our team.

"He's the first guy coming to the huddle pointing to himself saying 'Hey, that's my fault.' Not the guy who's coming in from a Power 5 conference team that tries to tell guys what they're doing wrong. He's talking about what he can do to improve as a player because he wants to make this year special and play beyond this season."

ANOTHER OPENING NIGHT WIN
Tuesday's victory marked the sixth consecutive season opening-night win under Davis. CMU is 6-1 in season-opening games under the seventh-year coach.

NEXT
The Chippewas play host to Chicago Sate on Friday (7 p.m.).