Rapid Reaction: UT Martin 76, Central Michigan 73
Tennessee-Martin hit a 3-pointer with 45.2 seconds to play to take a 74-73 lead Wednesday, knocking the Central Michigan men's basketball team out of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament in the first round.
Sophomore guard Josh Kozinski gave CMU the lead with 2:57 to play on a 3-pointer and had a chance to tie the game, but missed a 3-pointer with six seconds to play.
Junior guard Braylon Rayson forced a turnover on the inbounds pass, giving CMU the ball with 3.1 seconds to play, down 76-73. Senior forward John Simons took the off-balance inbounds pass, but missed the potential game-tying 3-pointer as time expired.
This was CMU's first home nonconference postseason game since joining Division I.
Rayson prompts late first-half controversy
After knocking down 3-pointers on back-to-back drives from the same spot on the floor, Rayson picked up a technical foul on the defensive end of the floor.
UT Martin's Alex Anderson hit both resulting free throws with 1:04 to go in the half to cut the Skyhawks' deficit to 33-30. They would score twice more heading into the half, making it 34-33 UT Martin.
When Anderson picked up a technical foul in the second half, Rayson returned the favor by making both free throws to tie the game 41-41.
Rayson led all scorers in the first half with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, hitting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. CMU as a team was 12-for-29 in the first half, hitting 7-of-21 3-pointers.
Fowler has quiet first half
Senior guard Chris Fowler's first and only shot came with 6:14 to go in the half. As time was expiring on the shot clock, Fowler buried a deep, contested 2-point attempt from the top of the key.
Those were his only two points in the first half, to go along with one rebound and two assists in his 14 first-half minutes.
#3MU returns
CMU was 15-of-43 from the 3-point line, breaking the program and conference record for most 3-pointers in a single season. CMU had 322 3-pointers in 2015, setting the previous record.
The 43 3-point attempts is a program record for most attempts in a game.
The Chippewas made 324 made 3-pointers this season.
Senior forward John Simons, Kozinski and Rayson all hit multiple shots beyond the arc, though they couldn't hit one to tie the game as time expired. Simons was 3-of-11, Kozinski was 5-of-11 and Rayson was 6-of-11 from the 3-point line.
CMU was 4-of-20 from the 3-point line in last week's tournament loss to Bowling Green.
What's next
The Chippewas end their season at 17-16, while UT Martin (20-14) advances to the second round of the CIT to play Ball State this Sunday.
