Men’s basketball to face rival Western Michigan as season winds down
Junior guard Rayshawn Simmons scored 13 points in the CMU men's basketball team's win over Western Michigan University in 2015 at McGuirk Arena. (Photo by Greg Cornwell)
With five games to go in the Mid-American Conference regular season for the Central Michigan men’s basketball team, two are against a familiar foe.
The Chippewas rekindle their rivalry with Western Michigan at 2 p.m. Saturday at University Arena in Kalamazoo.
CMU (14-12, 7-6 MAC) defeated Toledo 77-69 on Tuesday at McGuirk Arena. The victory propelled the Chippewas into a four-way tie for fifth place in the MAC. Toledo, Northern Illinois and Buffalo also sit at 7-6. Ball State leads the division with an 8-5 MAC record.
The Chippewas will play their in-state rival in hopes of climbing back to first place in the MAC West with two weeks to play before the MAC Tournament in Cleveland.
The Broncos (10-16, 4-9 MAC) rank at the bottom of the division after falling to Kent State 85-78 in overtime Tuesday night.
“You kind of throw the records out when playing in a big rivalry game,” said Head Coach Keno Davis. “We’re going to have to play with the same type of intensity we did (Tuesday) and try to execute even better to see if we can get a road win in a very difficult environment.”
Davis said he had not scouted WMU yet before the Toledo game and met with his coaching staff following Tuesday’s win to prepare for the rivalry game. He said he has seen WMU while viewing film of other teams and said he would not be surprised if they finish the season strongly.
Bronco Head Coach Steve Hawkins is in his 13th season with the Broncos, who are led on offense by Thomas Wilder. The sophomore guard averages 18.5 points per game. Junior guard Tucker Haymond has aided Wilder, averaging 15.9 points per game.
CMU will close out the regular season against the Broncos at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 4 at McGuirk Arena.
In 2014-15, the Chippewas split the season series with WMU, defeating the Broncos at home 70-65 on Feb. 7 before dropping the season finale in Kalamazoo 74-62 on March 6.
“It’s going to be fun,” said senior guard Chris Fowler. “It’s a rivalry game. We appreciate the rivalry. It’s been tough every time we go down there. I’m excited to go down there and have another chance to play.”
Fowler led the Chippewas in scoring in both games in 2015 and combined for 38 points. Fowler, who is second on the Chippewas with 15.8 points per game, said he is excited for this game like he was against Toledo.
“They’re going to execute well; they’re going to play hard no matter what their record might say,” Fowler said. “They’ve lost a lot of close games and they won some games that people thought they weren’t going to win. We’re going to be ready for a fight and go down there with a lot of focus.”
Davis said the Chippewas took Wednesday off. He said there is typically extra energy when preparing for WMU. He said some of his players may not have been recruited by the “school in Kalamazoo” and may be looking to send a message.
“A lot of our guys are from the state,” Davis said. “I know our guys as well as Western’s are going to come out with great intensity. It should be a great game for the fans, maybe as not as enjoyable for the coaches, but the fans and players should enjoy it.”
Davis said the basketball rivalry is equitable to the football rivalry. CMU football has lost its last two meetings with the Broncos by a combined 14 points.
“It’s a little bit of a different kind of rivalry in a sport where you are not supposed to hit anybody in, versus you can get out and get some of your frustration in,” Davis said. “I’ve been a part of a lot of (rivalries) as a coach and this one is one where, not only do you have a lot of focus and intensity — it means a lot to you — but it’s one where you really do respect the other team.”
