Fowler sits out, Simmons leads Chippewas to victory over Jacksonville State in season opener
With its senior point guard out of the lineup as he nurses a nagging preseason injury, the Central Michigan men's basketball team needed a surefire option shooting the ball and controlling the pace of play.
Head Coach Keno Davis gave typical sixth man Austin Stewart a start in Fowler's absence. Stewart played solid defense and scored nine points.
But guards Braylon Rayson and Rayshawn Simmons provided the sustained offensive intensity the Chippewas needed as they coasted to a 89-83 victory over Jacksonville State on Friday at McGuirk Arena.
Fowler remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, which is not believed to be serious.
Simmons and Rayson combined for 58 points during the victory.
CMU, which gained nationwide fame for its patented efficiency shooting the 3-point shot a year ago, found other ways to get the ball through the basket in the 2015 season opener.
Simmons was aggressive driving the lane, and sophomore forwards Luke Meyer and DaRohn Scott shared duties containing JSU's post players.
The Gamecocks combined for seven team fouls during the first 10 minutes of the game, as CMU build an early double-digit lead. JSU managed to trim CMU's lead down to 12 points midway through the first half, but a 4-0 Chippewa lead added padding to the home team's advantage.
"They were very aggressive in disrupting us," Davis said. "It was going to be a game of put your head down and attack the basket. Something Chris Fowler does really well. But you see how hard Rayson and Simmons have worked to be able to put up those kinds of numbers."
Things got slightly dicey for CMU when senior forward John Simons could not bury a 3-point shot and the Gamecocks turned the miss into a bucket at the other end, cutting CMU's lead to five points.
Rayson bailed the Chippewas out with a 3-pointer from the top of the key to push CMU's lead back up to 57-48 with 13:42 remaining. On JSU's next trip down the floor, two attacking players collided and Rayson scooped up the turnover and banked in shot while drawing the foul.
"I was hot," Rayson said. "I just felt like I was open so I let it go. We already knew what type of game it was gonna be."
The Chippewas have the weekend off before returning to practice in preparation for neighboring Alma College at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
