Tuesday, January 9
Ypsilanti, Mich./George Gervin/Game Above Center
7 p.m.
Central Michigan University
7-8,2-1MAC
80
at
64
Eastern Michigan
8-7,1-2MAC
1
2
F
Central Mich.
33
47
80
Eastern Mich.
31
33
64
Men's Basketball Wins Second Straight, 80-64, at Eastern Michigan
1/9/2024 10:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Central Michigan wins second consecutive road contest; outscores Eastern Michigan 47-33 in the second half; registers season-highs for 3-point field goals (11) and field goal percentage (61.2); Derrick Butler, Brian Taylor and Markus Harding lead the Chippewas with 17 points apiece.
YPSILANTI, Mich.—Central Michigan hit a season-high 11 3-pointers, shot a season-high 61.2 percent from floor and took advantage of a superb team defensive performance to claim a second consecutive victory with an 80-64 win at in-state rival Eastern Michigan Tuesday evening at the George Gervin/Game Above Center.
The 16-point victory marked Central Michigan's largest road win and largest MAC win since it defeated Eastern Michigan 87-60 in Ypsilanti on Dec. 29, 2021. The last time CMU claimed two straight MAC road games was Feb. 11-14, 2023, against Miami (OH) and Bowling Green. The win improves Central Michigan to 7-8 overall and 2-1 in MAC play and the victory snapped a three-game losing streak to Eastern Michigan and a two game losing streak in games played in Ypsilanti.
Three Chippewas—Brian Taylor, Derrick Butler, and Markus Harding—each scored a game-high 17 points to lead the visitors. Anthony Pritchard added 12 points, all in the second half, and Aidan Rubio finished with nine points, all on 3-pointers. Taylor converted 7-8 field goals, was a perfect 3-3 from 3-point range, and added eight rebounds and three assists, Butler hit seven of his 12 field goal attempts and was 3-4 from 3-point range, while Harding hit seven of 12 field goals.
Central Michigan hit 11 of its 17 3-point field goal attempts for a season-high 64.7 percent clip and converted 30 of 49 field goals for 61.2 percent. On defense, the Chippewas held the Eagles to 42.6 percent shooting (26-61) and 4-17 from 3-point range.
"It was impressive tonight," Central Michigan Head Coach Tony Barbee said. "This team deserves everything that's happening to them right now. We've got a collection of great people who are great basketball players as well. That locker room has finally decided enough is enough, 'let's try it his way.' Something has happened since that Buffalo game—I don't know what it is—but the light switch is going on. These guys said we submit coach: We need to play hard, we need to play tough, we need to be the most connected team, we need to be the most unselfish team, we need to be the grittiest team, we need to play with confidence and execute at the offensive end of the floor. And when you've got a team that plays that way that has good players on it, good things can happen."
"This team is starting to get it. We made a good Eastern Michigan team look normal tonight. We made them submit tonight."
In the second half alone, Central Michigan outscored Eastern Michigan 47-33. The Chippewas started the half by scoring 15 of the half's first 19 points. The Chippewas took control of the game with an 11-0 run. Pritchard started the run with a layup, followed by a Jemal Davis 3-pointer. Pritchard scored on another layup and back-to-back Butler jumpers gave the Chippewas a commanding 48-35 lead with 14:04 to play.
The Chippewas kept the pressure on and pushed their lead to as many as 22 points (74-52) with 2:24 to go.
Central Michigan built a two-point halftime lead (33-31) after it shot 54.5 percent (12-22) from the floor, 60 percent (6-10) from 3-point range, outrebounded the host Eagles 19-15, and held EMU to 35.3 percent shooting. But the game was close because the Chippewas turned the ball over 11 times in the first half.
The Chippewas led by as many as six points (30-24) at the 5:13 mark and took the lead on two Paul McMillan IV free throws midway through the half. Butler hit three 3-pointers in the first nine minutes and finished the first half with 13 points on 3-4 3-point shooting, Taylor scored eight points, and Markus Harding finished the half with seven points.
"Everybody contributed tonight," Barbee said. "You can talk about the 17 from Markus, Brian, and Derrick. Anthony scored 12, Aidan (Rubio)'s threes were all big. And then Paul (McMillan), coming off the bench. He's a better scorer than he's showing, but what I like is what he's doing to impact us winning. At the highest levels of basketball, what the coach and game is going to ask you is 'what do you do that impacts your team winning?' These last two games and in 40 minutes, he's made two shots total, but his time on the court were as big as anyone else's at impacting us winning. He's defending, leading, running our team, playing off the ball at the 2, attacking the paint."
"This is what I've envisioned a team. All of a sudden, the light is switched. Hopefully we don't lose this. It's my job to keep it this focused and focused on each other, and enjoying other other's success, more than their own. When you've got good people like that, it breeds more of it."
Central Michigan hosts Kent State on Saturday at 2 p.m. for Rubber Ducky Day at McGuirk Arena.
The 16-point victory marked Central Michigan's largest road win and largest MAC win since it defeated Eastern Michigan 87-60 in Ypsilanti on Dec. 29, 2021. The last time CMU claimed two straight MAC road games was Feb. 11-14, 2023, against Miami (OH) and Bowling Green. The win improves Central Michigan to 7-8 overall and 2-1 in MAC play and the victory snapped a three-game losing streak to Eastern Michigan and a two game losing streak in games played in Ypsilanti.
Three Chippewas—Brian Taylor, Derrick Butler, and Markus Harding—each scored a game-high 17 points to lead the visitors. Anthony Pritchard added 12 points, all in the second half, and Aidan Rubio finished with nine points, all on 3-pointers. Taylor converted 7-8 field goals, was a perfect 3-3 from 3-point range, and added eight rebounds and three assists, Butler hit seven of his 12 field goal attempts and was 3-4 from 3-point range, while Harding hit seven of 12 field goals.
Central Michigan hit 11 of its 17 3-point field goal attempts for a season-high 64.7 percent clip and converted 30 of 49 field goals for 61.2 percent. On defense, the Chippewas held the Eagles to 42.6 percent shooting (26-61) and 4-17 from 3-point range.
"It was impressive tonight," Central Michigan Head Coach Tony Barbee said. "This team deserves everything that's happening to them right now. We've got a collection of great people who are great basketball players as well. That locker room has finally decided enough is enough, 'let's try it his way.' Something has happened since that Buffalo game—I don't know what it is—but the light switch is going on. These guys said we submit coach: We need to play hard, we need to play tough, we need to be the most connected team, we need to be the most unselfish team, we need to be the grittiest team, we need to play with confidence and execute at the offensive end of the floor. And when you've got a team that plays that way that has good players on it, good things can happen."
"This team is starting to get it. We made a good Eastern Michigan team look normal tonight. We made them submit tonight."
In the second half alone, Central Michigan outscored Eastern Michigan 47-33. The Chippewas started the half by scoring 15 of the half's first 19 points. The Chippewas took control of the game with an 11-0 run. Pritchard started the run with a layup, followed by a Jemal Davis 3-pointer. Pritchard scored on another layup and back-to-back Butler jumpers gave the Chippewas a commanding 48-35 lead with 14:04 to play.
The Chippewas kept the pressure on and pushed their lead to as many as 22 points (74-52) with 2:24 to go.
Central Michigan built a two-point halftime lead (33-31) after it shot 54.5 percent (12-22) from the floor, 60 percent (6-10) from 3-point range, outrebounded the host Eagles 19-15, and held EMU to 35.3 percent shooting. But the game was close because the Chippewas turned the ball over 11 times in the first half.
The Chippewas led by as many as six points (30-24) at the 5:13 mark and took the lead on two Paul McMillan IV free throws midway through the half. Butler hit three 3-pointers in the first nine minutes and finished the first half with 13 points on 3-4 3-point shooting, Taylor scored eight points, and Markus Harding finished the half with seven points.
"Everybody contributed tonight," Barbee said. "You can talk about the 17 from Markus, Brian, and Derrick. Anthony scored 12, Aidan (Rubio)'s threes were all big. And then Paul (McMillan), coming off the bench. He's a better scorer than he's showing, but what I like is what he's doing to impact us winning. At the highest levels of basketball, what the coach and game is going to ask you is 'what do you do that impacts your team winning?' These last two games and in 40 minutes, he's made two shots total, but his time on the court were as big as anyone else's at impacting us winning. He's defending, leading, running our team, playing off the ball at the 2, attacking the paint."
"This is what I've envisioned a team. All of a sudden, the light is switched. Hopefully we don't lose this. It's my job to keep it this focused and focused on each other, and enjoying other other's success, more than their own. When you've got good people like that, it breeds more of it."
Central Michigan hosts Kent State on Saturday at 2 p.m. for Rubber Ducky Day at McGuirk Arena.
—CMU—
Team Stats
CMU
EMU
FG%
.612
.426
3FG%
.647
.235
FT%
.643
.667
RB
31
27
TO
16
12
STL
5
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
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