Thursday, March 10
Cleveland, Ohio
11 a.m.
Central Michigan University
7-23,6-12MAC
71
vs
72
Toledo (Quarterfinals)
26-6,17-3MAC
1
2
F
Central Mich.
32
39
71
Toledo
30
42
72
Photo by: Hayley Steffy
Heartbreaking Season-Ending Loss For MBB In MAC Tournament
3/10/2022 3:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CLEVELAND – Some day, Tony Barbee and his Central Michigan men's basketball charges will look back on the 2021-22 season as the start of something special, no matter how painful that memory may be.
The most poignant of those memories may have come on Thursday in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena.
The eighth-seeded Chippewas came within a whisker of upsetting top-seeded Toledo before falling in a 72-71 heartbreaker. CMU finished 7-23 in Barbee's first season in charge of the program.
After a 1-10 start against a brutal schedule that included several ranked opponents, the Chippewas evolved, re-tooled and gradually improved and down the stretch played several one- and two-possession games with many of the MAC's top teams.
Most prominent was Thursday's against the 26-6 Rockets.
"You're always disappointed losing games like that, but like I told the guys, more than anything, this first year, I was proud of this group," Barbee said. "They helped to set the tone for what it's going to be like playing at Central Michigan moving forward as long as I'm the head coach.
"We lost tonight strictly because we ran out of time. Not because (Toledo) played harder or they fought harder than us. I'm disappointed for (our players) because of everything they put into it that they don't get the reward of walking off that floor as victors."
Harrison Henderson, playing his final game as a Chippewa, scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Brian Taylor added 15 points and eight rebounds, point guard Kevin Miller had 13 points and eight assists, and Cameron Healy added 11 points.
The Chippewas hardly played like the eighth seed in seizing a 32-30 halftime lead and then hanging tough throughout the final minutes.
Toledo led by seven, 68-61, with under three minutes remaining. The Chippewas went on a 10-2 run to seize a 71-70 lead on a Henderson inside bucket off of a Ralph Bissainthe dump-in pass from the free throw line with 20 seconds left.
RayJ Dennis scored with 10 seconds left to put the Rockets ahead, 72-71, and then the Chippewas turned the ball over on the inbounds pass.
CMU rebounded a Toledo missed free throw with 7 seconds remaining and Miller raced up court, found an open Henderson at the top of the key, but Henderson's 3-pointer missed.
Henderson is the lone Chippewa who is out of eligibility. Miller, who was named earlier this week to the MAC All-Freshman Team, emerged as one of the league's best young talents in 2021-22. He is at the center of a good young nucleus as Barbee and Co. look ahead.
"I told (our players) that when this becomes a player-driven team, we'll turn the corner," Barbee said. "That never happened, but it happened today. They took control of it today. They went and did it. I was proud of them for that.
"In life and in basketball you get exactly what you deserve and what you put into it. What's worth having is worth fighting for because they go hand in hand, basketball and life. Hopefully that's the takeaway for the guys who are leaving and the guys who are retuning."
The most poignant of those memories may have come on Thursday in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena.
The eighth-seeded Chippewas came within a whisker of upsetting top-seeded Toledo before falling in a 72-71 heartbreaker. CMU finished 7-23 in Barbee's first season in charge of the program.
After a 1-10 start against a brutal schedule that included several ranked opponents, the Chippewas evolved, re-tooled and gradually improved and down the stretch played several one- and two-possession games with many of the MAC's top teams.
Most prominent was Thursday's against the 26-6 Rockets.
"You're always disappointed losing games like that, but like I told the guys, more than anything, this first year, I was proud of this group," Barbee said. "They helped to set the tone for what it's going to be like playing at Central Michigan moving forward as long as I'm the head coach.
"We lost tonight strictly because we ran out of time. Not because (Toledo) played harder or they fought harder than us. I'm disappointed for (our players) because of everything they put into it that they don't get the reward of walking off that floor as victors."
Harrison Henderson, playing his final game as a Chippewa, scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Brian Taylor added 15 points and eight rebounds, point guard Kevin Miller had 13 points and eight assists, and Cameron Healy added 11 points.
The Chippewas hardly played like the eighth seed in seizing a 32-30 halftime lead and then hanging tough throughout the final minutes.
Toledo led by seven, 68-61, with under three minutes remaining. The Chippewas went on a 10-2 run to seize a 71-70 lead on a Henderson inside bucket off of a Ralph Bissainthe dump-in pass from the free throw line with 20 seconds left.
RayJ Dennis scored with 10 seconds left to put the Rockets ahead, 72-71, and then the Chippewas turned the ball over on the inbounds pass.
CMU rebounded a Toledo missed free throw with 7 seconds remaining and Miller raced up court, found an open Henderson at the top of the key, but Henderson's 3-pointer missed.
Henderson is the lone Chippewa who is out of eligibility. Miller, who was named earlier this week to the MAC All-Freshman Team, emerged as one of the league's best young talents in 2021-22. He is at the center of a good young nucleus as Barbee and Co. look ahead.
"I told (our players) that when this becomes a player-driven team, we'll turn the corner," Barbee said. "That never happened, but it happened today. They took control of it today. They went and did it. I was proud of them for that.
"In life and in basketball you get exactly what you deserve and what you put into it. What's worth having is worth fighting for because they go hand in hand, basketball and life. Hopefully that's the takeaway for the guys who are leaving and the guys who are retuning."
Team Stats
CMU
UT
FG%
.435
.466
3FG%
.259
.286
FT%
.769
.667
RB
40
31
TO
14
8
STL
3
7
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
21
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
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