Men's basketball suffers worst loss in four years
Western Kentucky tops Central Michigan 88-60 in second day of Gulf Coast Showcase
The Chippewas struggled in the first half, heading into the break Tuesday against Western Kentucky 36-19. But unlike the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl last December between the pair of football teams, the CMU men's basketball couldn't mount a second-half comeback.
The 28-point margin marks the worst loss in the Keno Davis era. The last time CMU lost by 28 or more was exactly four years ago in a 78-49 loss Nov. 24, 2011 to New Mexico State.
CMU (2-2) was 23-for-75 from the field, 10-for-41 from the 3-point line and 4-for-16 from the free-throw line in Tuesday's game, following a 63-60 loss to Weber State on Monday in the first round of the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Head Coach Keno Davis said everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong Tuesday.
"The main reason for us not shooting better is that we're missing that guy that can take it to the basket and score," Davis said. "Chris (Fowler) had always been that guy for us and it would suck defenses in. We're not a great team right now. We're a work in progress, trying to find our way due to some injuries."
CMU has been without senior guard Chris Fowler for all four regular season games this year due to an undisclosed injury that will sideline him for a couple weeks.
"We have to find some other guys that can create at the basket with drives or with posts," Davis said. "But those guys aren't ready yet. They have to continue to improve and some of them as seniors, they don't have any time left. They've got to speed it up as fast as possible."
The only time CMU had back-to-back losses last season was in the MAC Championship Game and National Invitational Tournament first round.
Junior guard Braylon Rayson led the Chippewas with 13 points, despite shooting 5-of-20. The only other Chippewa in double figures was senior guard Austin Stewart, who had 10 points.
The starters made 15 of their 55 shot attempts.
The loss bumps the Chippewas to the seventh-place game Wednesday against Milwaukee in the final day of the showcase. It will be the first ever matchup between CMU and Milwaukee. The game tips off at noon.
"It's not like football where you have to wait a week," Davis said. "We get to play tomorrow. We get to show that that was an aberration of what we are about."
Of the 15 players on WKU's roster, 13 played in Tuesday's game and 12 scored four points or more. The Hilltoppers made 52.5 percent of their shots and 10 of their 20 3-point attempts.
"I'm optimistic about this group and always have been," Davis said. "And I continue to be even on a night we'd like to burn the tape."
