Men’s basketball blows away SIU Edwardsville, remains undefeated at home
Senior forward Luke Meyer prepares to pass the ball during the basketball game against Tennessee Tech on Dec. 9 at McGuirk Arena.
Led by a near double-double from senior forward Luke Meyer, the Central Michigan men’s basketball team remained undefeated at home.
Meyer logged 12 points, nine rebounds and one assist, helping the Chippewas (10-2) a 70-52 win over SIU Edwardsville (4-7) at McGuirk Arena on Dec. 22.
The Chippewas went down early, 8-3, but senior guard Josh Kozinski tied the game, 11-11, on a 3-pointer with 11:12 remaining in the first half. Then, senior forward Cecil Williams made two free throws to give CMU a lead it would never lose.
Kozinski ended the game with 12 points and four rebounds. Of his 12 points, all came from downtown. Kozinski’s fourth triple tied him with John Simons for second all-time in 3-pointers made for CMU. Williams chipped in 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the victory.
“Even though Cecil is a senior, he’s really doing this for the first time,” CMU head coach Keno Davis said. “He didn’t get much action due to two players who shot the ball a ton last season. He’s been making some great plays and the best is still to come for him. He is someone who wants to continue his basketball career after CMU.”
Sophomore forward David DiLeo dropped in a triple with 17 seconds left in the first half, pushing the Chippewas to a 34-23 lead at halftime.
CMU opened the second half where it left off in the first, as senior forward Luke Meyer buried a 3-pointer on an assist from Williams.
Throughout the second half, the Chippewas continued to win the battle on the glass and shoot at a high rate.
As the final buzzer sounded, CMU owned a 44-39 advantage in the rebounding category. Defensively, Davis’ squad allowed 52 points to SIUE, which is the third lowest this season.
“It’s nice to be able to show the fans what we have been able to do defensively,” Davis said. “Every minute we have on the court gives us a chance to improve.”
The bright spot in a dark room for SIUE was freshman guard Christian Ellis. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder registered 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
CMU remains at McGuirk Arena for its final non-conference game of the season at 7 p.m. on Dec. 29 against Lawrence Tech.
“Our guys will get a chance to go home and be able to see family and friends,” Davis said. “It’ll be nice to recharge. We have a few guys fighting through injury, but it’s nothing a few days rest won’t fix.”
Following the game against the Blue Devils, the Chippewas will begin Mid-American Conference play against Ohio on Jan. 2.
“We are a good offensive team, but we can be better and better as we go through if we are able to stay healthy,” Davis said.
