Sunday, December 5
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
2 p.m.
Central Michigan University
1-7,0-0MAC
70
vs
97
Western Illinois
8-2,0-0Summit League
1
2
F
Western Ill.
59
38
97
Central Mich.
31
39
70
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Men's Basketball Falls To Hot-Shooting Western Illinois In Home Opener
12/5/2021 4:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Western Illinois wasn't the most lustrous name on Central Michigan's 2021-22 schedule.
No, the Leathernecks don't carry near the pedigree or reputation of some of CMU's other foes, such as Kentucky or Gonzaga or Xavier.
Nevertheless, Western Illinois turned in a sit-up-and-take-notice performance on Sunday in handing CMU a 97-70 nonconference men's basketball loss in the Chippewas' home opener at McGuirk Arena.
Western Illinois "is as gifted offensively as a team that we have played all year long," first-year CMU coach Tony Barbee said. "That includes Gonzaga, that includes DePaul, that includes Missouri, that includes Kentucky."
The Chippewas are 1-7 and are scheduled to go to Youngstown State on Wednesday, Dec. 8. They return to McGuirk on Saturday, Dec. (4:30 p.m.) to play UIC.
Western Illinois, which hasn't finished a season over .500 since 2012-13, could be the most improved team in college basketball. The Leathernecks are 8-2 after winning just seven games a year ago.
"I was worried about them when our schedule came out," Barbee said. "They were as efficient an offensive team as we were going to play all year long and they've proven that through their early stretch of games and obviously they proved that against us."
The Leathernecks hit 11 of their first 15 3-point tries and finished 17 of 29 (58.6 percent) from long range. CMU was 11 for 19 (57.9 percent) from beyond the arc, but most came in the second half when the game was no longer in doubt.
The Leathernecks got a 3-pointer from Trenton Massner with 8:42 to play in the first half to extend their lead to 11, 32-21, and CMU never got its deficit under double digits the rest of the way.
CMU trailed, 59-31, at halftime, and its deficit swelled to as many as 44 points in the second half.
Australian Cameron Healy, a graduate transfer guard from Albany, scored a career-high 24 points to lead CMU. He hit six of his eight 3-point tries. Freshman guard Kevin Miller added 15 points.
The Chippewas played without leading scorer Jermaine Jackson Jr., who missed the game with an illness.
"We have yet to play one game this season with a fully healthy team," Barbee said. "It's hard when you are a new team, you're a new program, and you're trying to teach these guys what winning is and what winning looks like and you don't have a full complement of players in practices and games.
"It's hard, and yet here we are. And we've got to compete, with who we've got, better than we're competing (now). We're doing it in spurts. We're just not doing it consistently enough."
No, the Leathernecks don't carry near the pedigree or reputation of some of CMU's other foes, such as Kentucky or Gonzaga or Xavier.
Nevertheless, Western Illinois turned in a sit-up-and-take-notice performance on Sunday in handing CMU a 97-70 nonconference men's basketball loss in the Chippewas' home opener at McGuirk Arena.
Western Illinois "is as gifted offensively as a team that we have played all year long," first-year CMU coach Tony Barbee said. "That includes Gonzaga, that includes DePaul, that includes Missouri, that includes Kentucky."
The Chippewas are 1-7 and are scheduled to go to Youngstown State on Wednesday, Dec. 8. They return to McGuirk on Saturday, Dec. (4:30 p.m.) to play UIC.
Western Illinois, which hasn't finished a season over .500 since 2012-13, could be the most improved team in college basketball. The Leathernecks are 8-2 after winning just seven games a year ago.
"I was worried about them when our schedule came out," Barbee said. "They were as efficient an offensive team as we were going to play all year long and they've proven that through their early stretch of games and obviously they proved that against us."
The Leathernecks hit 11 of their first 15 3-point tries and finished 17 of 29 (58.6 percent) from long range. CMU was 11 for 19 (57.9 percent) from beyond the arc, but most came in the second half when the game was no longer in doubt.
The Leathernecks got a 3-pointer from Trenton Massner with 8:42 to play in the first half to extend their lead to 11, 32-21, and CMU never got its deficit under double digits the rest of the way.
CMU trailed, 59-31, at halftime, and its deficit swelled to as many as 44 points in the second half.
Australian Cameron Healy, a graduate transfer guard from Albany, scored a career-high 24 points to lead CMU. He hit six of his eight 3-point tries. Freshman guard Kevin Miller added 15 points.
The Chippewas played without leading scorer Jermaine Jackson Jr., who missed the game with an illness.
"We have yet to play one game this season with a fully healthy team," Barbee said. "It's hard when you are a new team, you're a new program, and you're trying to teach these guys what winning is and what winning looks like and you don't have a full complement of players in practices and games.
"It's hard, and yet here we are. And we've got to compete, with who we've got, better than we're competing (now). We're doing it in spurts. We're just not doing it consistently enough."
Team Stats
WIU
CMU
FG%
.509
.481
3FG%
.586
.579
FT%
.815
.692
RB
32
27
TO
11
19
STL
7
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
24
FGM
8
3FGM
6
FTM
2
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
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