Saturday, January 29
DeKalb, Ill.
4 p.m.
Central Michigan University
3-13,2-3MAC
69
at
63
Northern Illinois
5-13,2-6MAC
1
2
F
Central Mich.
33
36
69
Northern Ill.
28
35
63
Ralph Bissainthe scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds in leading CMU to a 69-63 win on Saturday at Northern Illinois.
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
MBB Grinds Out MAC Win At Northern Illinois
1/29/2022 6:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
DeKALB, Ill. – Balanced scoring and getting it done during what first-year Central Michigan men's basketball coach Tony Barbee calls 'winning time.'
Ralph Bissainthe scored 17 points to lead four Chippewas in double figures as CMU held on for a gritty 69-63 Mid-American Conference victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday at the Huskies' Convocation Center.
It was CMU's first win since a Dec. 29 victory at Kent State as it improved to 3-13, 2-3 MAC. NIU is 5-12, 2-5.
Six of CMU's previous eight games had been postponed and it had dropped the two games it had played during that stretch.
"Our guys have stayed positive through all the adversity that we've had, the illnesses and the starts and stops, and guys out with injuries and all that stuff," Barbee said, "but they've stayed the course and kept working and they're starting to (show) what winning basketball is like.
"We talk about it, in the last four minutes, is their will going to be greater than your will? Let's impose our will. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't perfect, but guys willed the ball into the basket."
Harrison Henderson added 16 points, Kevin Miller had 14, and Cameron Healy finished with 11 for the Chippewas, who led by 12, 53-41, with under nine minutes to play.
NIU then went on a 14-2 spurt to tie it at 57-all with under four minutes remaining.
"Our guys took a deep breath and relaxed when they shouldn't have, and (NIU) stepped on the gas a little bit," Barbee said.
Miller hit a jumper with 1:51 remaining to put CMU in front, 63-61. Henderson nailed a back-breaking 3-pointer with just over a minute left to extend the lead to 66-61, and Brian Taylor converted a layup with 39 seconds left to make it 68-61.
When the dust settled, CMU finished on a 9-2 run, holding NIU to 1-of-6 shooting over the final 1:30.
Henderson's triple was CMU's only 3-pointer of the second half as it finished 1-for-12 from long range over the final 20 minutes.
"I told the guys that I was proud of them," Barbee said. "These are the rewards for working hard and staying patient and staying positive. To come on the road and get one is nice."
Miller, the freshman point guard, played all 40 minutes. His 14 points were one shy of his season best and his seven assists were a career high. He also grabbed a career-best five rebounds and committed just three turnovers.
Bissainthe's 17 points were a season high, and he led CMU with nine rebounds.
The Chippewas are scheduled to play three games next week, all at home. They entertain Bowling Green on Tuesday, Feb. 1; Western Michigan on Thursday, Feb. 3; and Buffalo on Saturday, Feb. 5.
Ralph Bissainthe scored 17 points to lead four Chippewas in double figures as CMU held on for a gritty 69-63 Mid-American Conference victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday at the Huskies' Convocation Center.
It was CMU's first win since a Dec. 29 victory at Kent State as it improved to 3-13, 2-3 MAC. NIU is 5-12, 2-5.
Six of CMU's previous eight games had been postponed and it had dropped the two games it had played during that stretch.
"Our guys have stayed positive through all the adversity that we've had, the illnesses and the starts and stops, and guys out with injuries and all that stuff," Barbee said, "but they've stayed the course and kept working and they're starting to (show) what winning basketball is like.
"We talk about it, in the last four minutes, is their will going to be greater than your will? Let's impose our will. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't perfect, but guys willed the ball into the basket."
Harrison Henderson added 16 points, Kevin Miller had 14, and Cameron Healy finished with 11 for the Chippewas, who led by 12, 53-41, with under nine minutes to play.
NIU then went on a 14-2 spurt to tie it at 57-all with under four minutes remaining.
"Our guys took a deep breath and relaxed when they shouldn't have, and (NIU) stepped on the gas a little bit," Barbee said.
Miller hit a jumper with 1:51 remaining to put CMU in front, 63-61. Henderson nailed a back-breaking 3-pointer with just over a minute left to extend the lead to 66-61, and Brian Taylor converted a layup with 39 seconds left to make it 68-61.
When the dust settled, CMU finished on a 9-2 run, holding NIU to 1-of-6 shooting over the final 1:30.
Henderson's triple was CMU's only 3-pointer of the second half as it finished 1-for-12 from long range over the final 20 minutes.
"I told the guys that I was proud of them," Barbee said. "These are the rewards for working hard and staying patient and staying positive. To come on the road and get one is nice."
Miller, the freshman point guard, played all 40 minutes. His 14 points were one shy of his season best and his seven assists were a career high. He also grabbed a career-best five rebounds and committed just three turnovers.
Bissainthe's 17 points were a season high, and he led CMU with nine rebounds.
The Chippewas are scheduled to play three games next week, all at home. They entertain Bowling Green on Tuesday, Feb. 1; Western Michigan on Thursday, Feb. 3; and Buffalo on Saturday, Feb. 5.
Team Stats
CMU
NIU
FG%
.431
.421
3FG%
.250
.176
FT%
.700
.750
RB
34
40
TO
9
13
STL
6
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
16
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Players Mentioned
F
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