Quick Turnaround For CMU Men

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan men's basketball team gets right back at it on Thursday when it travels to Akron for a Mid-American Conference game.

The Chippewas, who lost on Tuesday at first-place Toledo, 89-72, are 6-8, 2-5 MAC. Akron, 6-3, 4-2, went to Bowling Green on Tuesday and handed the Falcons their first MAC loss, 69-57.

Last Time Out
The Chippewas got career highs in points from Travon Broadway Jr. (27) and Mikkael Murray (20) in falling at Toledo. Murray, a junior, also had a career-high 10 rebounds in posting his first double-double in a Chippewa uniform.

Broadway ranks sixth in the league in scoring at 17.5 points per game. He has scored at least 20 points in three-consecutive games and his previous career best (25 points) came in Saturday's home win over Eastern Michigan.

"I think what you're seeing from him is a lot of experience that he got from last year," Davis said of Broadway, a senior who hails from Miami and came to CMU via Iowa Western CC. "Amazing how much one year can help somebody turn a corner and fill a stat sheet. Hopefully some of the juniors that we have this year who will actually be with us for another two years can make those kinds of strides. It's pretty amazing what he's been able to do."

CMU's Malik Muhammad, a 6-foot-9 junior, continued his ascension as he finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double in three games.

Scouting
Akron features the MAC's leading scorer in Loren Cristian Jackson, a 5-8 guard who averages 21.9 points per game.

Akron has knocked off the MAC's top two teams in its last two games. Jackson had 16 points in the Zips' win at Bowling Green. He scored 34 – his third 30-point game of the season – last Saturday in a 95-94 overtime victory over Toledo.

Akron is the MAC's best free throw shooting team, making 79.3 percent of its attempts. The Zips are second in the conference in 3-pointers per game (9.9).

Halfway Home
The Chippewas are in the midst of a four-game stretch during which all four games are on the road.

They are scheduled to go to Buffalo on Tuesday, Jan. 26 (5 p.m.) and to Kent State on Saturday, Jan. 30 (4 p.m.).

During the four road games, CMU will face the 12-team league's first-place team (Toledo), two teams that are tied for third (Akron, Kent State), and Buffalo, which is sixth.

"I've told this team that I've got high expectations for them the last 10 games of where we can be, especially if we can get healthy," Davis said. "(There is) a lot to really like for the future of CMU basketball and not just for next year or the year after, but I think for this season as well."

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Travon Broadway Jr.

Malik Muhammad

Central Michigan University Athletics