CMU Men Drop MAC Home Opener to Ohio, 80-64

Tuesday, December 30

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

3:00 PM

Central Michigan University

4-10,0-2MAC

Ohio

7-7,1-1MAC

Ohio

Central Mich.

Photo by: Julia Bice '22,M'24 - @jb.jpg10

12/30/2025 6:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Adley tallies 19, Phat Phat Brooks a career-high 18 to lead Central Michigan.

By: Andy Sneddon

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The winter storm that smashed the state of Michigan over the past few days may have passed.

But the cold remains. That chill carried over to the Central Michigan men's basketball team on Tuesday.

The Chippewas missed all 13 of their 3-point attempts in falling to Ohio, 80-64, in a Mid-American Conference game at McGuirk Arena.

"It's not like we're just hoisting up bad shots," first-year CMU coach Andy Bronkema said. "We took 13 pretty good threes. The guys are in the gym getting their shots up.

"There's a human element to it too. They're going to have to just adjust their psyche to, 'the next one's in' (and) take confidence in their preparation and step up and make the big play. And I believe they will."

The Chippewas slipped to 4-10, 0-2 MAC. Ohio is 7-7, 1-1. CMU entertains Toledo in a MAC game on Saturday, Jan. 3 (3 p.m.).

Jackson Paveletzke scored 23 points to lead five Bobcats in double figures.

Tamario Adley scored 19 points and Phat Phat Brooks added a career-high 18 for CMU.

The Chippewas trailed, 31-29, at halftime but stumbled early in the second half.

CMU committed several turnovers as the Bobcats opened the second half with a 21-8 run that extended their lead to 52-37 with 13 minutes to play.

The Chippewas finished with 15 turnovers, 10 of which came in the final 20 minutes. Ohio finished the game with 18 points off CMU turnovers, 14 of those points coming in the second half.

"Can't come out in the second half and turn it over immediately – I think it was four out of our first five or six (second-half) possessions," Bronkema said. "We can control that; be a little more sound with the basketball."

The Chippewas hung in and twice trimmed their deficit to eight points, the second time with 6:30 to play. But Ohio answered with a quick 7-0 spurt to re-up its lead to 14, 69-55, and CMU never threatened again.

"As far as effort," Bronkema said, "For 40 minutes, I thought it was our best game. We're working for that complete game.

"And we've just got to keep these guys excited too. They're hurting a little bit because they want it so bad. Today we were hanging right in there and we were generating open shots – (playing) unselfish – that's a good thing to see.

"I know we're all getting frustrated (by) not seeing the ball go in, but we've got to get beyond that."