Chippewas Go Down Swinging Against Kent State

Tuesday, January 12

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

4:30 p.m.

Central Michigan University

5-7,1-4MAC

Kent State

5-3,2-2MAC

Kent St.

Central Mich.

Photo by: Keara Chaperon

1/12/2021 7:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Muhammad posts double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds)

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Score, defend, rebound, make free throws.

All the ingredients were there for the Central Michigan men's basketball team in its game at McGuirk Arena on Tuesday with Kent State.

But while the Chippewas did plenty to the good, just enough went wrong down the stretch as they bowed to the Golden Flashes, 94-85, in a Mid-American Conference game.

The Chippewas slipped to 5-7, 1-4 MAC. Kent State is 5-3, 2-2. CMU entertains Eastern Michigan in a MAC game on Saturday (4:30 p.m.).

The loss spoiled an outstanding performance from the emerging Malik Muhammad, a 6-foot-9 junior who scored 17 points and hauled down 11 rebounds in posting his first double-double as a Chippewa.

Encouraging too was the fact that CMU, despite being shorthanded in the frontcourt, stayed in a toe-to-toe slugfest and never backed down against perhaps the MAC's most physical team, led by 6-9 center Danny Pippen.

"Kent State is obviously a really good team, as always, physical," said CMU coach Keno Davis, whose team was playing without 6-10 center Aundre Polk and will now be without another post, 7-footer Braden Burke, who has opted out. "We knew it was going to be a tough matchup for us especially not at full strength.

"To be able to outrebound Kent State, to be able to match their physicality, I think is a really good sign for us in the future."

How It Happened
A Tervell Beck layup gave Kent State a 78-76 lead with 4:29 to play, and it touched off a 10-0 game-breaking run.

Pippen, who finished with 28 points and 11 boards, hit two free throws and scored on a dunk to extend Kent State's lead to 82-76. Muhammad, who had battled Pippen all game long, fouled out with 3:55 to play and the Chippewas committed turnovers on four consecutive possessions during the Golden Flashes' spurt.

"I felt like early in the season we've had pretty good composure in our close games in those stretches," Davis said. "Obviously tonight wasn't one of those. We'll look at what we can do as coaches to put them in better position; but you give some of that credit to Kent State of being able to make a big play at the right time."

Malique Jacobs hit a jumper and Pippen added two more free throws with 1:54 left to put the Golden Flashes up, 86-76.

The Chippewas managed to draw to seven, 88-81, on a Matt Beachler 3-pointer with 42 seconds left but could get no closer.

Kent State was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line in the final 1:55.

Leaders
Five Chippewas scored in double figures, led by Travon Broadway Jr., who had 20 points. Meikkel Murray added 14, Beachler had 12, and Devontae Lane added 11. Broadway had a career-high five steals.

Muhammad Surging
Muhammad's 17 points marked his high-water mark as a Chippewa, and he reached double digits in rebounds for the third-consecutive game. He made all nine of his free throw attempts, setting personal marks in both categories.

Muhammad is a junior in his first season at CMU after transferring from East Los Angeles College. He sat out CMU's first four games with an injury and is now establishing himself as a major presence in the post

"Coming from a California JUCO to mid-major DI, it's a lot -- just figuring out my game," Muhammad said. "Everybody's a lot taller for one and stronger too. Weight training, like we would lift every day (in California) but not the type of lift that we have here. You can tell that guys have been, since they were freshmen, lifting, getting stronger.

"My confidence won't get there until we win. I could get 20 rebounds; doesn't matter. I just want to win."

Said Davis: "For him to put that kind of stat line in there against the best rebounding, probably most physical team in the league, I think that's a big bright spot for him moving forward."

Aggressiveness
The game featured 51 fouls and the Chippewas finished 29 of 41 from the free throw. Both numbers are season highs and getting to the line is a good sign that CMU is maintaining aggressiveness on offense. CMU shot 38 free throws on Saturday in its loss to Bowling Green.

"I don't think we're anywhere near as good as we're going to be in the next month if we stay healthy," Davis said. "I think there are some bright spots."