Men's basketball digs deep in gritty win over Ball State
It was a rough afternoon in almost every regard for the Central Michigan men’s basketball team.
CMU missed 42 shots from the field, shot 10-of-20 from the free throw line and committed a crippling 21 turnovers in comparison to 14 assists.
To make matters worse, the team was forced to do without the leadership of senior guard Shawn Roundtree Jr. for the game’s final 30 minutes of play. In addition, senior forward David DiLeo sat the bench for a significant amount of time due to sickness.
And yet, the Chippewas (19-8, 8-6 Mid-American Conference) collected a 64-57 victory in their Feb. 23 road matchup against Ball State (14-13, 5-9 MAC).
How did the Chippewas manage to pull out a win with the odds stacked against them?
One word: grit.
The shots weren’t falling. Errant passes flew feet over the head of the intended target. With each CMU misfire, the Cardinals’ lead grew.
At the 17:29 mark of the second half, Ball State led by a score of 40-26. The Chippewas were on the verge of falling out of contention.
However, CMU had no plans of going down without a fight.
It started with a miss by junior forward Rob Montgomery. Instead of giving up on the play, Montgomery highpointed the rebound over two BSU defenders, came down to recollect and went straight back up with the ball for a putback layup through contact.
The Chippewas still trailed by 12 with just over 17 minutes to play, but Montgomery’s effort set the tone for the rest of the game.
From that point forward, CMU outscored the Cardinals 36-17.
The defensive rotations of the Chippewas kicked into another gear, and players flew with zeal to contest BSU shots. Under the basket, Montgomery and junior guard Kevin McKay worked tirelessly to establish position. They were rewarded with a slew of rebounds as Ball State’s attempts began to carom harmlessly off the rim.
Offensively, it wasn't pretty, but CMU steadily cut into the deficit.
By no stretch of the imagination did the Chippewas ever truly find a shooting groove from outside; rather, it was the offensive boards that brought CMU back so quickly.
The Chippewas crashed hard from the wings, expecting every shot to miss and anticipating the rebound trajectory. With this mindset, CMU outjumped the Cardinals and easily made the point-blank putbacks.
BSU went on a mini-run to take a 55-49 lead with 6:40 to play. In response, the Chippewas tied the game by converting second-chance opportunities on three consecutive offensive possessions.
With the score knotted at 55, McKay gathered the rebound of a DiLeo missed 3-pointer after wresting the ball away from a Cardinal forward. He slapped the backboard as he laid the ball in, and CMU took a 57-55 lead with 3:32 left to play.
The Cardinals stayed within striking distance for the final three minutes.
Thirty four seconds remained, and BSU got tantalizingly close to pulling within a point of CMU’s lead. The Cardinals pulled down an offensive rebound, and it appeared that they had a wide open kickout pass for a jump shot.
Larry Austin, Jr. had other ideas.
The senior guard flashed into the passing lane with astonishing speed, neatly picked off the pass and put on the burners as he darted down the court to finish the layup that essentially put the dagger in the hearts of the Cardinals. Austin’s shot put the Chippewas up 62-57 with 32 seconds to play.
Ball State did not score again and the Chippewas were victorious, 64-57.
The hustle by the Chippewas was the one thing that catalyzed the 21-point second half swing.
Had it not been for the 15 offensive rebounds that CMU hauled in over the course of the game, the Chippewas had no chance of making a comeback. Likewise, CMU’s whirlwind of defensive rotations eliminated any easy Cardinal baskets.
CMU had 65 total shots to BSU’s 56 -- a testament to the Chippewas’ combination of defensive pressure and relentless work on the offensive boards.
The gritty performance bodes well for CMU, as it shows that the team can consistently win games by playing defense and winning the rebound battle. These qualities will play a critical role in the Chippewas’ endeavor to win the MAC and clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The next step on the path to a MAC championship lies in Ypsilanti. CMU travels to play Eastern Michigan (13-14, 7-7 MAC) on Feb. 26 in a 7 p.m. matchup at the EMU Convocation Center.
