McClure, Coimbra fill void in win
In one of the most physical games the CMU men’s basketball team has played all season, the big guys stepped it up.
Senior forward Will McClure scored 10 points and grabbed three rebounds while junior forward Andre Coimbra scored 14 points and had six rebounds in the Chippewas 66-64 victory against NIU Thursday night at McGuirk Arena.
With senior Jalin Thomas out of the lineup, the rest of the team had to step up, and McClure and Coimbra did just that.
“I told our guys we have to have someone step up,” said head coach Ernie Zeigler. “Andre took a small step forward tonight. We need him to step up.”
Throughout the game McClure and Coimbra battled with Northern Illinois players for loose balls, rebounds and every point they could scrape away.
McClure, who averages 3.5 points per game, showed that while he can use his body and be physical, he can also have some soft hands once in a while.
Coimbra played to his potential, hitting crucial 3-pointers at several points throughout the game and coming up with three blocks to help CMU stay within reach and keep the game close.
With other players stepping up and playing bigger roles, freshman Trey Zeigler was able to get into a rhythm, scoring a game-high 27 points.
“It was a physical ball game and I think we were prepared mentally for the physical play,” said NIU head coach Ricardo Patton.
Midway through the game McClure went up for a layup and was fouled hard, landing awkwardly on his back. He was slow to get up but came back and played the rest of the game.
“Will was big, he started the game off well and that’s what my dad has been looking for from him,” said Trey Zeigler. “We need him every night to be consistent and that was big for him.”
With just four minutes to go in the game and the score tied at 58, the crowd was anxious to see who would make a play.
Freshman Derek Jackson found Coimbra on the wing and Coimbra nailed his third three-pointer of the night, giving the Chippewas a 61-58 lead. CMU never lost the lead after that basket, going on to win the game and improve to 2-2 in conference play.
McClure said this was one of the more physical games this season and that his back will be fine and ready to go for the next game.
“Andre (Coimbra) is a great player, he is very athletic,” McClure said. “It’s more of a weight off my shoulder and I don’t feel I have to do it alone. It was a great team effort.”
The Chippewas will try to ride the momentum into another physical game on Sunday when they travel to Ypsilanti to take on Eastern Michigan.
