Chippewas Come-From-Behind to Down Bowling Green 62-59 in Toilet Paper Toss

Saturday, January 31

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

7:00 PM

Central Michigan University

7-15,3-7MAC

Bowling Green

13-9,4-6MAC

Bowling Green

Central Mich.

Chatting Chippewas - Andy Bronkema

Friday, January 30

Toilet Paper Toss: Know Before You Go

Friday, January 30

Ervin "Lightning" Leavy to be Honored Prior to Saturday's Toilet Paper Toss Game

Wednesday, January 28

Less Than 500 Tickets Remain for Saturday Night's Toilet Paper Toss Game

Wednesday, January 28

Next Event

Massachusetts

Feb 3 (Tue)

7:00 PM

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.433

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.188

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.583

.467

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Logan McIntire

/ Men's Basketball

Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photography

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Chippewas Come-From-Behind to Down Bowling Green 62-59 in Toilet Paper Toss

1/31/2026 10:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Chippewas overcome 12-point halftime deficit to win second straight; Keenan Garner registers second double-double of his career with career-highs of 18 points and 14 rebounds; Nathan Claerbaut adds 12 points and four blocks; Tamario Adley makes several plays down the stretch; CMU draws the fifth-largest crowd in McGuirk Arena history (5,352).

By: Greg Hotchkiss

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—Central Michigan rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit and made all the key plays down the stretch as it claimed a 62-59 come-from-behind victory over Bowling Green in its fourth annual Toilet Paper Toss game before 5,352 fans Saturday night at McGuirk Arena. The announced crowd of 5,352 ranks as the fifth-largest crowd in McGuirk Arena history.

The victory was Central Michigan's second in a row following a 100-65 Tuesday victory over Eastern Michigan. The win also improved Central Michigan to a perfect 4-0 in Toilet Paper Toss games.

Keenan Garner tallied his second career double-double with a career-high 18 points and career-high 14 rebounds. He converted 7 of 11 field goals and grabbed eight offensive rebounds. Nathan Claerbaut scored 12 points (6-9 FG) with five rebounds and blocked four shots, and Phat Phat Brooks finished with 10 points and a game-high six assists. Tamario Adley scored eight points, but made several key plays, and Logan McIntire finished with eight points and seven rebounds.

Central Michigan made several clutch plays down the stretch. Claerbaut faked and banked in a layup to pull the Chippewas into a tie at 56-56 with 1:51 to play. After Bowling Green missed a shot, Adley drove the lane and hit a pull up jumper for a 58-56 lead with 33 seconds to play. Then Phat Phat Brooks stole the ball and drove in for a layup and 60-56 lead with 20 seconds left. After a timeout, Bowling Green's Josiah Shackelford hit a 3-pointer to pull the Falcons within one point (60-59) with nine seconds left.

On the inbounds pass, CMU's Logan McIntire was fouled and calmly hit two free throws for a 62-59 lead. Shackelford again fired a 3-pointer that was off the mark and Adley grabbed the rebound, giving the Chippewas the victory.

After a first half that saw Central Michigan trail by 12 points (32-20) at halftime, and tie a season-low for scoring in a half with 20 points, the Chippewas outscored Bowling Green 42-27 in the second half.

""Some big plays were made down the stretch tonight and you saw a team that has a will to win," Central Michigan head coach Andy Bronkema said. "Our fans see what this team is and they wanted to see what would happen in the second half. This is a team that never gives up, has resolve and character. Whether shots are going in or not, or whether things are going our way or not, we're grinding out there. That's something to cheer for."

"With the big event, it was a stay-tuned type of atmosphere. We talked about that at halftime. Stop turning the ball over. Don't worry so much about the missed shots, we're creating good shots. If we put any type of run together tonight, this place will go crazy. Once we started to do that, the crowd carried us through it, the support was amazing, Mount Pleasant came out, Central Michigan came out, the students went crazy."

The Chippewas opened the second half on a 6-0 run and gradually cut Bowling Green's lead down. Trailing 39-31, Central Michigan went on an 11-0 to take a 42-39 lead with 9:18 to play. Claerbaut started the rally with a hook shot, scored on a jump shot, then Brooks scored on a 3-point play and driving layup and Jalen Kampen gave CMU its first lead since early in the game with a driving layup. Garner made it 42-39 with 9:18 to play after scoring on a turnover.

Bowling Green used a 15-0 run midway through the first half to take a 32-20 lead at halftime. After trailing 10-4, Bowling Green came back to score 19 of the next 21 points to go up 23-12 at the 6:51 mark. Trailing 12-11, the Falcons went on a 15-0 run to take a 26-12 with 4:55 to go in the first half.

Bowling Green was led by Javontae Campbell's 21 points and Shackelford's 17 points.

Central Michigan improves to 7-15 overall and 3-7 in the MAC, while Bowling Green drops to 13-9 overall and 4-6 in the MAC.

Central Michigan great Ervin "Lightning" Leavy was honored pre-game and passed to Claerbaut for the dunk that triggered the Toilet Paper Toss. Toilet paper rained down from the stands and Central Michigan University successfully completed its fourth consecutive Toilet Paper Toss.

"To be able to go through the Toilet Paper Toss and all the festivities was great tonight," Bronkema said. "To be part of that was really cool considering my background. My family went to school here, my dad went here. And it was extra special to have Nate on the other end of the dunk and how great's he's playing for us and how far he's come, that was really special for me."

Making the start for Central Michigan was Tamario Adley, Logan McIntire, and Phat Phat Brooks at guard, Keenan Garner at forward and center Nathan Claerbaut.

Central Michigan hits the road for its next two games: at Massachusetts on Tuesday, Feb. 3 and at Louisiana on Saturday, Feb. 7 (4 p.m. ET).

—CMU—