• Blog
  • About Us
  • Links
  MAC Reporter Online

Chippewas pass zone test, defeat A-PB

12/4/2016

 
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan coach Keno Davis got what he expected from Saturday’s opponent, Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He also got what everybody has come to expect from Marcus Keene.
 
Keene scored 18 of his . . . 
. . . 31 points in the second half to spark the Chippewas to an 82-59 nonconference victory over the Lions on Saturday at McGuirk Arena.
 
It was the Chippewas’ third-consecutive win as they improved to 7-2 on the campaign. Pine Bluff fell to 1-7.

CMU outscored the Lions, 43-20, in the second half. Keene, the nation’s leading scorer, finished with a career-high eight 3-pointers on 14 attempts, and the eight triples tied him for fourth most in a single game in program history.
 
The Lions employed an aggressive zone defense and it took the Chippewas, who never led in the first half, a bit to find their footing against the defense.
 
That, Davis said, is exactly what he had hoped.
 
“Last year we felt like we didn’t see much zone in the nonconference,” he said. “We really needed a game like this in the nonconference to help us down the road.
 
“The big positive for us is that not only were we able to knock down some shots, but we were able to get to the free throw line, which is always important. We don’t want to be just a perimeter team. We’ve got to be able to attack the basket. That was a good sign today.”
 
The Chippewas broke from a 39-39 halftime tie with a 14-5 surge early in the second half. With just over 13 minutes remaining, they owned a 55-44 lead. The Lions never got their deficit under double digits the rest of the way.
 
Josh Kozinski and Cecil Williams added 11 points each and David DiLeo had 10 for the Chippewas. CMU continued to shoot well from long range, making 15 of their 38 triple tries (39.5 percent). They have made 38 percent of their 3-pointers in their last four games combined.
 
“We knew we needed to come out and punch them in the mouth, come out and play hard” in the second half, Kozinski said. “And we did that.”
 
While Pine Bluff’s zone defense gave the Chippewas plenty to hash out, CMU followed a familiar script otherwise: Its depth took its toll and drained another opponent in the second half.
 
“We’re a fast-paced team,” Keene said. “We’ve been running since preseason and last off season. The coaches got us in shape to where we can play two full halves, full-speed both halves, and we can wear teams down.”
 
Williams led the Chippewas with 11 rebounds. CMU, which made 17 of its 22 free throw attempts, held a 40-37 edge on the glass. Williams, a junior transfer in his first season as a Chippewa, came within a bucket of his second double-double of the season.
 
“I think the thing about Cecil, and the thing I’m most impressed about, is I thought he had an average game,” Davis said. “And when you go get almost a double-double and you’re average out there, I think that’s exciting. ... He didn’t play his best and he had eight points and 11 rebounds, which would be the best for a lot of guys.”
 
The Chippewas play host to Green Bay on Tuesday (7 p.m.) in a nonconference game. CMU defeated the Phoenix, 89-77, on the road a week ago.


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    MAC Football 

    MAC FOOTBALL 
    2024
    REGULAR SEASON
    FINAL STANDINGS
    CLICK HERE

    Picture
    MAC Basketball 
    MAC BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

    MAC BASKETBALL
    STATISTICS

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Basketball
    Football
    Other

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

Proudly powered by Weebly