Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, November 14
Highland Heights, Ky./Truist Arena
3:30 p.m.
Central Michigan University
4-0,0-0MAC
68
at
57
Northern Kentucky
2-3,0-0Horizon
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Mich. | 22 | 46 | 68 |
| Northern Ky. | 26 | 31 | 57 |
Photo by: Matthew MacPhee '28 - @mattsvisuals_
11/14/2026 7:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Phat Phat Brooks surpasses his career-high in scoring for the third straight game with 27 points, Conrad Luczynski contributes his first double-double with season-highs of 15 points and 12 rebounds; CMU outrebounds NKU 49-30; Chippewas improve to 4-0 for first time since 2019-20.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky.—Phat Phat Brooks scored a career-high 27 points, Conrad Luczynski registered his first season double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Central Michigan used a late run to claim a hard-fought, back-and-forth men's basketball contest at Northern Kentucky, 68-57, Saturday afternoon at Truist Arena. With the victory, Central Michigan begins a season with a 4-0 record for the first time since 2019-20. The Chippewas also registered their second road victory of the 2026-27 season.
For the third consecutive game, Brooks surpassed his scoring career-high. This time, he finished with 27 points, hit 8-13 field goals and converted a career-high 10-12 free throws. He also dished out four assists and finished with four steals. Luczynski finished with his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds while converting 7-12 field goals. Jalen Kampen and Jayson Petty both contributed big baskets and nine points apiece.
The Chippewas outrebounded NKU 49-30, hit 86.4 percent of their free throws (19-22) and made all the key plays down the stretch for the win. CMU also had 11 turnovers in the first half and cut it down to five in the second half. CMU outscored Northern Kentucky 46-31 in the second half.
It was Brooks who provided leadership and took over late in the game, making play after play down the stretch. With the score tied at 48-48, CMU put together a 6-0 run to take the lead for good. Brooks drove to the basket, missed a layup, but Luczynski followed and scored on the offensive rebound putback. Petty grabbed an offensive rebound, was fouled and converted two free throws, then Brooks pulled up on a drive and hit a jumper for a six-point lead (54-48) with 4:17 to play.
Northern Kentucky, which was picked to finish No. 5 in the Horizon League preseason coaches' poll, answered with basket after basket, but Brooks then scored on a driving layup and a 56-50 lead, then found Luczynski down low for a layup and 58-52 lead with 3:15 to play. A Petty 3-pointer with 1:44 left gave CMU a commanding 61-54 lead.
The way Brooks took over late in the game was what impressed Central Michigan Interim Head Coach Raymoan McAfee.
"That's what Phat Phat is capable of and that's what he's going to be held accountable to," McAfee said. "That's what he does and he's a great player. We took advantage of their defense. Players win you games and that's what you need on the road."
Brooks said it's a team effort and that he feeds off his teammates' confidence in him.
"It feels really good, especially with the guys leaning on me to take control of the game, have the ball in my hands, and make plays for others," Brooks said. "It feels good knowing that they have that confidence in me and it's reciprocated. I have that same confidence in them."
"We have so many guys who can do so many different things," Brooks said. "Brock came in and had a few good defensive possessions, Jalen hit big shots, Petty came in with defense, Uchenna came in with defense. It's just having so many guys that can do a lot. Being down is part of the game. We work on that in practice. We put ourselves in those positions every day. Coming out here is nothing new for us."
The first half featured a low-scoring, back-and-forth defensive battle. Both teams shot under 40 percent and neither team led by more than five points. The Chippewas turned the ball over 11 times in the first half. Northern Kentucky's Willie Foster hit a 3-pointer to give the Norse a 26-24 halftime lead with 2:37 to play.
Trailing 32-29 in the second half, Central Michigan put together a 9-0 run midway through second half to go up 39-32. Back-to-back Brooks layups, Jake Bascom hit a hook shot, Jalen Kampen contributed a step back jumper and Petty made it 39-32 CMU at the 11:27 mark.
But Northern Kentucky rallied back. The host Norse rallied to tie the game at 44-44 with 7:40 to play on Eric Acker's driving layup. They made it 48-48 with 6:29 to play on a Willie Foster layup.
"We did the same thing we've been doing all summer," said McAfee, who improved to 3-0 as CMU's Interim Head Coach. "We've just been plugging away, we take it one day at a time, one possession at a time. We've been preparing for these moments since June. It's nothing special."
The victory marked Central Michigan's second straight win against a Horizon League opponent as it defeated Youngstown State on Tuesday. The win also avenged a 26-point loss to Northern Kentucky in last year's meeting between the two schools in Mount Pleasant. The Norse defeated Central Michigan, 90-66, on Nov. 20, 2025.
Foster led Northern Kentucky with 21 points on 8-14 shooting. Noah Pagano added 11 points and Acker finished with 10. The Norse hit just 2-21 from 3-point range and 37.7 percent (23-61) of their field goals.
For the fourth consecutive game, Central Michigan starters were Luczynski at center, Garner at forward, and Whitaker, Kampen, and Brooks at guard.
Central Michigan improved to 2-0 on the road this season. Last season, it won just one road game.
The contest was the first of five straight road games. Next up, Central Michigan plays its second road game in the next five when it travels to Dayton for a Tuesday, Nov. 17. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at UD Arena.
For the third consecutive game, Brooks surpassed his scoring career-high. This time, he finished with 27 points, hit 8-13 field goals and converted a career-high 10-12 free throws. He also dished out four assists and finished with four steals. Luczynski finished with his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds while converting 7-12 field goals. Jalen Kampen and Jayson Petty both contributed big baskets and nine points apiece.
The Chippewas outrebounded NKU 49-30, hit 86.4 percent of their free throws (19-22) and made all the key plays down the stretch for the win. CMU also had 11 turnovers in the first half and cut it down to five in the second half. CMU outscored Northern Kentucky 46-31 in the second half.
It was Brooks who provided leadership and took over late in the game, making play after play down the stretch. With the score tied at 48-48, CMU put together a 6-0 run to take the lead for good. Brooks drove to the basket, missed a layup, but Luczynski followed and scored on the offensive rebound putback. Petty grabbed an offensive rebound, was fouled and converted two free throws, then Brooks pulled up on a drive and hit a jumper for a six-point lead (54-48) with 4:17 to play.
Northern Kentucky, which was picked to finish No. 5 in the Horizon League preseason coaches' poll, answered with basket after basket, but Brooks then scored on a driving layup and a 56-50 lead, then found Luczynski down low for a layup and 58-52 lead with 3:15 to play. A Petty 3-pointer with 1:44 left gave CMU a commanding 61-54 lead.
The way Brooks took over late in the game was what impressed Central Michigan Interim Head Coach Raymoan McAfee.
"That's what Phat Phat is capable of and that's what he's going to be held accountable to," McAfee said. "That's what he does and he's a great player. We took advantage of their defense. Players win you games and that's what you need on the road."
Brooks said it's a team effort and that he feeds off his teammates' confidence in him.
"It feels really good, especially with the guys leaning on me to take control of the game, have the ball in my hands, and make plays for others," Brooks said. "It feels good knowing that they have that confidence in me and it's reciprocated. I have that same confidence in them."
"We have so many guys who can do so many different things," Brooks said. "Brock came in and had a few good defensive possessions, Jalen hit big shots, Petty came in with defense, Uchenna came in with defense. It's just having so many guys that can do a lot. Being down is part of the game. We work on that in practice. We put ourselves in those positions every day. Coming out here is nothing new for us."
The first half featured a low-scoring, back-and-forth defensive battle. Both teams shot under 40 percent and neither team led by more than five points. The Chippewas turned the ball over 11 times in the first half. Northern Kentucky's Willie Foster hit a 3-pointer to give the Norse a 26-24 halftime lead with 2:37 to play.
Trailing 32-29 in the second half, Central Michigan put together a 9-0 run midway through second half to go up 39-32. Back-to-back Brooks layups, Jake Bascom hit a hook shot, Jalen Kampen contributed a step back jumper and Petty made it 39-32 CMU at the 11:27 mark.
But Northern Kentucky rallied back. The host Norse rallied to tie the game at 44-44 with 7:40 to play on Eric Acker's driving layup. They made it 48-48 with 6:29 to play on a Willie Foster layup.
"We did the same thing we've been doing all summer," said McAfee, who improved to 3-0 as CMU's Interim Head Coach. "We've just been plugging away, we take it one day at a time, one possession at a time. We've been preparing for these moments since June. It's nothing special."
The victory marked Central Michigan's second straight win against a Horizon League opponent as it defeated Youngstown State on Tuesday. The win also avenged a 26-point loss to Northern Kentucky in last year's meeting between the two schools in Mount Pleasant. The Norse defeated Central Michigan, 90-66, on Nov. 20, 2025.
Foster led Northern Kentucky with 21 points on 8-14 shooting. Noah Pagano added 11 points and Acker finished with 10. The Norse hit just 2-21 from 3-point range and 37.7 percent (23-61) of their field goals.
For the fourth consecutive game, Central Michigan starters were Luczynski at center, Garner at forward, and Whitaker, Kampen, and Brooks at guard.
Central Michigan improved to 2-0 on the road this season. Last season, it won just one road game.
The contest was the first of five straight road games. Next up, Central Michigan plays its second road game in the next five when it travels to Dayton for a Tuesday, Nov. 17. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at UD Arena.
—CMU—
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballTeam Stats
CMU
NKU
FG%
.386
.377
3FG%
.294
.095
FT%
.864
.500
RB
49
30
TO
16
9
STL
5
11
Game Leaders
Pts
27
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
10
Pts
15
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
1
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Wednesday, October 28
Wednesday, October 28
Thursday, October 22
Thursday, June 25