Central Michigan University
16-13 (5-11MAC)
Toledo
20-9 (12-4MAC)
Chippewa Men Fall At Toledo
2/23/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
TOLEDO, Ohio - The Central Michigan men's basketball team dropped an 89-76 Mid-American Conference game to Toledo on Friday at the Rockets' Savage Arena.
The loss was CMU's third straight. The Chippewas are 16-13, 5-11 MAC. Toledo, which leads the MAC West and is battling East-leading Buffalo for the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament, improved to 20-9, 12-4. The Rockets snapped a two-game losing streak.
LEADERS
Cecil Williams scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead CMU. Shawn Roundtree Jr. added 20 points and Kevin McKay had 17.
Tre'Shaun Fletcher, a strong MAC Player of the Year candidate, scored 28 points and dished out nine assists to lead the Rockets. Fletcher finished 9 of 16 from the field and 9 of 12 from the free throw line.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Chippewas, as they have so frequently this season, fell behind early, but were very much in the game at halftime - they trailed 44-39 at the break - and were down just two, 49-47, three minutes into the second half.
CMU was still within striking distance, 81-73, with under two minutes to play, but a Fletcher jumper with 1:24 remaining put the Rockets up 10, 83-73, and the Chippewas never got closer.
WHERE THEY STAND
The Chippewas are almost assured of going on the road to open the MAC Tournament on Monday, March 5. The top four teams in the final standings earn a bye to the quarterfinals in Cleveland, the next eight teams - those finishing fifth-12th - play first-round games. The Chippewas are very likely to finish ninth or lower and, therefore, will play their first-round game on the road.
NEXT
The Chippewas play host to Ball State in a MAC game on Tuesday (7 p.m.) at McGuirk Arena and then close the regular season at home on Friday, March 2, against Western Michigan. Ball State, which is 1 ½ games behind Toledo in the MAC West, has won five consecutive games and seven of its last eight. The Cardinals play host to Western Michigan on Saturday.
