Central Michigan University Athletics
Tuesday, January 25
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
7 p.m.
Central Michigan University
2-13,1-3MAC
56
vs
60
Akron
13-5,6-2MAC
1
2
F
Akron
31
29
60
Central Mich.
24
32
56
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
MBB Battles Akron To The Wire
1/25/2022 11:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – After two weeks without playing a game, the Central Michigan men's basketball team returned to the court on Tuesday, giving one of the Mid-American Conference's top teams all it could handle before succumbing.
The Chippewas kept it a two- or three-possession game for most of the second half and twice drew to within a point down the stretch before falling to Akron, 60-56, at McGuirk Arena.
CMU, which is 2-13, 1-3 MAC, is scheduled to play at Northern Illinois (5-11, 2-4) on Saturday, Jan. 29 (4 p.m.). The Zips, 13-5, 6-2, won their fourth straight.
"I'm proud of the way the guys have stayed together under a lot of adversity in the last two, three weeks," said CMU coach Tony Barbee, whose team last played on Jan. 11. "They stayed working, in our short numbers, they stayed in shape, and we got the opportunity to play the way we did tonight against Akron."
CMU hit 36.1 percent from the floor, while Akron finished at 47.8 percent.
"We were really looking to focus on driving (to the basket)," said guard Cameron Healy, who led CMU with 18 points, his second-highest scoring game as a Chippewa. "We were trying to be unselfish, to make the extra pass if it's there and to be aggressive. When you have an extra opportunity to attack, you take it."
The Zips led at halftime, 31-24, and then extended their lead to 11, 40-29, with under 16 minutes to play. CMU answered with a 15-7 run to pull within one, 49-48, with just over nine minutes remaining.
CMU was within two, 58-56, with under 20 seconds left after a Healy layup and pair of Kevin Miller free throws. Ali Ali hit two free throws with 18 seconds remaining for the final margin and the Chippewas missed two 3-point attempts in the final 5 seconds.
Healy made seven of his 12 field goal attempts and Ralph Bissainthe added 11 points and shared the team lead in rebounds (seven) with Brian Taylor.
"It's a tough loss," Healy said. "We've really put in a lot of work recently as a team and we've been working really hard together, and this one hurt all the more because of that.
"But, it is great to get out there and be playing again, and hopefully turn things around."
The Chippewas kept it a two- or three-possession game for most of the second half and twice drew to within a point down the stretch before falling to Akron, 60-56, at McGuirk Arena.
CMU, which is 2-13, 1-3 MAC, is scheduled to play at Northern Illinois (5-11, 2-4) on Saturday, Jan. 29 (4 p.m.). The Zips, 13-5, 6-2, won their fourth straight.
"I'm proud of the way the guys have stayed together under a lot of adversity in the last two, three weeks," said CMU coach Tony Barbee, whose team last played on Jan. 11. "They stayed working, in our short numbers, they stayed in shape, and we got the opportunity to play the way we did tonight against Akron."
CMU hit 36.1 percent from the floor, while Akron finished at 47.8 percent.
"We were really looking to focus on driving (to the basket)," said guard Cameron Healy, who led CMU with 18 points, his second-highest scoring game as a Chippewa. "We were trying to be unselfish, to make the extra pass if it's there and to be aggressive. When you have an extra opportunity to attack, you take it."
The Zips led at halftime, 31-24, and then extended their lead to 11, 40-29, with under 16 minutes to play. CMU answered with a 15-7 run to pull within one, 49-48, with just over nine minutes remaining.
CMU was within two, 58-56, with under 20 seconds left after a Healy layup and pair of Kevin Miller free throws. Ali Ali hit two free throws with 18 seconds remaining for the final margin and the Chippewas missed two 3-point attempts in the final 5 seconds.
Healy made seven of his 12 field goal attempts and Ralph Bissainthe added 11 points and shared the team lead in rebounds (seven) with Brian Taylor.
"It's a tough loss," Healy said. "We've really put in a lot of work recently as a team and we've been working really hard together, and this one hurt all the more because of that.
"But, it is great to get out there and be playing again, and hopefully turn things around."
Team Stats
UA
CMU
FG%
.478
.361
3FG%
.267
.375
FT%
.800
.857
RB
30
36
TO
13
13
STL
4
8
Game Leaders
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
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