Men’s basketball prepares for road test against Buffalo
Head Coach Keno Davis and the Central Michigan University men’s basketball team in the midst of a lengthy conference road trip. The Chippewas next stop is 2 p.m. Saturday at the University at Buffalo.
It will be the second of two matchups between the two Mid-American Conference teams. CMU managed to put the Bulls away 84-73 at McGuirk Arena on Jan. 21.
“I don’t think you change a whole lot about the concept you had the first time around,” Davis said. “You just try to refine some things.”
Seven games remain on CMU’s schedule. Three of those games will be at home.
CMU sits at 4-4 on the road this season. The Chippewas sit in second place in their division at 17-5 (7-4 MAC).
“We’re at a point right now where there’s not a game on our schedule we don’t believe we can win,” Davis said. “We know it’s more of an opportunity to move up the standings.
In order for the Chippewas to finish the season with a winning record on the road, they will have to improve their shooting performance from last week's 70-65 win over Western Michigan.
CMU shot 39.3 percent from the field against Ohio University in its last game, but were bailed out on the offensive and defensive glass, outrebounding the Bobcats 40-29 during the win.
Junior guard John Simons grabbed 13 rebounds against OU, en route to a double-double. He also scored 18 points against the Bobcats.
“Now we’re going on (Buffalo’s) home court. So things are different when you’re on the road,” Simons said. “We have to be locked in. Anybody can beat anybody.”
Simons said he is not worried about the Chippewas shooting the ball on the road.
“A lot of shooting teams have stretches where they don’t shoot well,” he said. “I think we’ll get back on track.”
Simons is third on the team in three-point field goal shooting percentage with 44 percent.
Fellow guard and junior Rayshawn Simmons had 11 points the last time CMU faced off against the Bulls.
Averaging 9.1 points per game, he has been one of the most consistent players on the Chippewa’s roster.
Simmons is also averaging 4.3 assists per game this season. He’s had the ball at the end of the game, shooting from the free-throw line to secure victory.
“I believe in myself from the free-throw line,” Simmons said. “Chris (Fowler) is the one taking the ball out. He believes in me and tells me to go get the ball.”
