Saturday, February 19
Toledo, Ohio
7 p.m.
Central Michigan University
6-18,5-8MAC
66
at
68
Toledo
21-6,13-3MAC
1
2
F
Central Mich.
31
35
66
Toledo
29
39
68
Photo by: Keara Chaperon '22
MBB Falls In A Heartbreaker At MAC-Leading Toledo
2/19/2022 9:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
TOLEDO, Ohio – They gave it their best against one of the league's best.
In the end, the Central Michigan men's basketball team came up just short on Saturday in dropping a 68-66 heartbreaker to Toledo at the Rockets' Savage Arena.
The Chippewas slipped to 6-18, 5-8 MAC. Toledo improved to 21-6, 13-3, and shares first place in the league with Ohio. The Rockets entered Saturday's game having won 11 of their last 13 starts.
"That's a winnable game," first-year CMU coach Tony Barbee said. "You've got to take advantage of it when you put yourself in these positions. Like I've said from the beginning, I didn't come here for moral victories. We didn't get enough guys making plays when they needed to make them."
Cameron Healy scored 18 points to lead the Chippewas, while Harrison Henderson had 15, Ralph Bissainthe added 14, and Brian Taylor had 10. Henderson led the Chippewas with nine rebounds. CMU outrebounded the Rockets, 41-33.
J.T. Shumate scored 29 points to lead Toledo.
"We did some good things offensively," Barbee said. "It's just disappointing that we didn't do the little things. They're a veteran team. They've won this league in the regular season multiple years and we're a fledgling program trying to develop and grow.
"Seasoned players for them made the plays that they had to make when they needed to make them and we didn't when we needed to."
The game was tight all the way, and the spread was never more than two possessions throughout the second half.
CMU led at halftime, 31-29, and then Toledo went ahead, 50-49, on a RayJ Dennis 3-pointer with 11:30 to play. The Chippewas' largest deficit, six points at 67-61, came with a minute to play.
A Kevin Miller 3-pointer drew CMU to 67-64 and then Healy hit a jumper with 7 seconds left to pull the Chippewas within one, 67-66.
The teams then traded turnovers and a Shumate free throw with 4 seconds left made it 68-66. Shumate missed the second charity toss and CMU rebounded and rushed up court. Henderson's potential game-winning 3-point try came just after the buzzer.
The Chippewas are scheduled to play at Ohio, 21-6, 13-3, on Tuesday Feb. 22, and then they go to Miami (Ohio) on Thursday, Feb. 24.
The RedHawks are seventh and the Chippewas are eighth in the MAC standings. Northern Illinois, which is 5-10 in league play, is ninth. The top eight make the league tournament.
"We've just got to keep fighting," Barbee said. "If we fight and play like this and play like this from the start of the game. … We got off to a good start, we controlled the pace, we controlled the tempo. We were up at halftime; we just couldn't finish off the game. We've got to go back, watch the tape, learn from our mistakes and prepare for a good Ohio team."
In the end, the Central Michigan men's basketball team came up just short on Saturday in dropping a 68-66 heartbreaker to Toledo at the Rockets' Savage Arena.
The Chippewas slipped to 6-18, 5-8 MAC. Toledo improved to 21-6, 13-3, and shares first place in the league with Ohio. The Rockets entered Saturday's game having won 11 of their last 13 starts.
"That's a winnable game," first-year CMU coach Tony Barbee said. "You've got to take advantage of it when you put yourself in these positions. Like I've said from the beginning, I didn't come here for moral victories. We didn't get enough guys making plays when they needed to make them."
Cameron Healy scored 18 points to lead the Chippewas, while Harrison Henderson had 15, Ralph Bissainthe added 14, and Brian Taylor had 10. Henderson led the Chippewas with nine rebounds. CMU outrebounded the Rockets, 41-33.
J.T. Shumate scored 29 points to lead Toledo.
"We did some good things offensively," Barbee said. "It's just disappointing that we didn't do the little things. They're a veteran team. They've won this league in the regular season multiple years and we're a fledgling program trying to develop and grow.
"Seasoned players for them made the plays that they had to make when they needed to make them and we didn't when we needed to."
The game was tight all the way, and the spread was never more than two possessions throughout the second half.
CMU led at halftime, 31-29, and then Toledo went ahead, 50-49, on a RayJ Dennis 3-pointer with 11:30 to play. The Chippewas' largest deficit, six points at 67-61, came with a minute to play.
A Kevin Miller 3-pointer drew CMU to 67-64 and then Healy hit a jumper with 7 seconds left to pull the Chippewas within one, 67-66.
The teams then traded turnovers and a Shumate free throw with 4 seconds left made it 68-66. Shumate missed the second charity toss and CMU rebounded and rushed up court. Henderson's potential game-winning 3-point try came just after the buzzer.
The Chippewas are scheduled to play at Ohio, 21-6, 13-3, on Tuesday Feb. 22, and then they go to Miami (Ohio) on Thursday, Feb. 24.
The RedHawks are seventh and the Chippewas are eighth in the MAC standings. Northern Illinois, which is 5-10 in league play, is ninth. The top eight make the league tournament.
"We've just got to keep fighting," Barbee said. "If we fight and play like this and play like this from the start of the game. … We got off to a good start, we controlled the pace, we controlled the tempo. We were up at halftime; we just couldn't finish off the game. We've got to go back, watch the tape, learn from our mistakes and prepare for a good Ohio team."
Team Stats
CMU
UT
FG%
.397
.441
3FG%
.304
.364
FT%
.692
.800
RB
42
33
TO
12
10
STL
5
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
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