'We're going to Cleveland, baby': The journey was tough, but Central Michigan finally made it


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Senior guard Shawn Roundtree leaves the court after a win against in-state rival WMU on Feb. 11 in McGuirk Arena.

Keno Davis wiped the sweat off his brow, glancing at the stands as fans filed out of McGuirk Arena for the final time this season.

Central Michigan President Robert Davies shook his hand and embraced him with a hug, as the first section of a four-part mission is officially complete.

The Chippewas, for the third-straight time, were tasked with topping Western Michigan, the arch-rival just 130 miles away. And for the third-straight time, Davis' team came out on top.

Behind a near triple-double performance from senior guard Larry Austin Jr., which saw him fall an assist shy of the feat that's never been accomplished in CMU history, Central Michigan pulled off an 81-67 victory over the Broncos to advance to the Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

But even having the option to make the 300-mile journey to Cleveland was far from simple for the Chippewas, and this is how it all went down Monday night in Mount Pleasant.

Mission One: Complete

Towering over his opponents, WMU 7-foot center Seth Dugan scores the opening points on a layup as time on the shot clock expires. He's big, but fragile inside. For the Chippewas, slowing him down is key.

"Fast break, let's go," Davis barks at his offense, which has been paced all season by seniors Austin and Roundtree.

Just like that, Roundtree sprays a 3-pointer from the top of the key to snatch back the lead. Davis, still disappointed in the opening defensive collapse, didn't crack a smile.

Sprinting back down the court, going nearly faster than his legs would allow, Roundtree does it again – another swish from downtown. Roundtree smiles, and Davis praises him for the back-to-back offensive possessions.

Davis throws his fist through the air before clapping continuously, yelling, "Let's go."

CMU 6, WMU 2 (1H, 19:01)

After Dugan puts in the first three points for WMU, Davis goes to his bench but picks a typical starter in forward Rob Montgomery. Dating back to Feb. 26, Montgomery has been sidelined with a groin injury. Without him last time in the rivalry, the Chippewas were lost guarding Dugan, allowing the Broncos to keep things close.

Even though Montgomery is held to nine minutes, his 6-foot-6 frame helps give other players a rest to hang with Dugan.

"We need Rob if we're going to win this thing," Davis told reporters after the game. "The size differential hasn't bothered us this season until Rob was out."

Moments after Montgomery checks in, Dugan trips and falls after a missed 3-pointer by WMU at the 17:11 mark. He extends his body on the ground, grabbing at his right shoulder. With the help of athletic trainers, Dugan walks off the court in pain – only to return moments later to score a layup.

For those short moments Dugan is alone on the hardwood, it seems as if the Chippewas will run away with the game. However, it's a different story.

WMU doesn't quit, and it takes a 19-11 edge. Meanwhile, the Chippewas are shooting just 4-of-21 from the field, a meager 19 percent. CMU gets held scoreless for five minutes, of which mistakes include missed layups from Roundtree, Kevin McKay, Dallas Morgan and Romelo Burrell.

"Our guys were trying so hard and missing some layups they'd normally make, and our offense wasn't executing the way it has all year, the worst goes through your mind," Davis said.

"This can't be the way it ends."

Austin, as the catalyst for success, drops in CMU's first bucket in what feels like forever.

WMU 19, CMU 13 (1H, 8:12)

In an attempt to gain momentum but trailing 21-16, CMU forward David DiLeo catches the ball on the right wing with just over six minutes left before halftime. He only takes a split-second to glare down the defense, then attacks the middle uncontrollably. The result is an offensive foul.

Davis is angry.

“Hey, slow down," he said. "Look for the fast break, then go to the offense."

Junior forward David Dileo drives past his defender on Feb. 11 in McGuirk Arena.

Roundtree cans his fourth triple in five attempts, which is directly followed by the same shot from DiLeo, tying the game at 25-all and forcing WMU coach Steve Hawkins to burn a 30-second timeout with 3:45 to go in the first half.

CMU's bench erupts, and Davis flashes a rare smirk – the epitome of a true rivalry at its highest stakes.

Morgan, still new to the starting rotation, hits a 3-pointer to give CMU a 33-30 lead with 1:45 remaining. Roundtree scores a layup on the ensuing possession, sticks his tongue out and cheers with DiLeo.

The Broncos tack on three points in the final 40 seconds to complete the first half.

"They weren't coming here lie down," Davis said. "They played as tough as any team we've seen. We knew this wasn't going to be a game that was going to be over in the first half, it was going down to the wire."

CMU 35, WMU 33 (HALFTIME)

Whatever was said in the locker room at halftime clearly made a difference, as the Chippewas came out firing on all cylinders.

It went like this: Roundtree layup, McKay layup, DiLeo 3-pointer. Three-straight possessions, seven points for a 42-33 edge just 85 seconds into the new set of 20 minutes. Once again, Hawkins tosses a 30-second timeout in the trash.

While the Broncos hang their heads in disgust, DiLeo showcases his classic windmill 3-point celebration. Davis, just like before, smirks as his team energetically surrounds DiLeo on his way back to the bench.

Rolling off his defender Michael Flowers, Austin scores inside on an and-one layup and flexes his muscles for the cameraman, handing CMU an 11-point edge. On the next possession, he blows past 7-foot Davis for another bucket in the paint.

There are a few things that make Austin different from any other player on the court – swag, aggression and energy. He proves that at the 14:05 mark when WMU's Jared Printy pulls down a rebound off a 3-point miss from Montgomery.

Sneaking from the weak side, Austin pokes the ball away from Printy and is immediately surrounded by three WMU defenders, of which one is Dugan. The 6-foot-2 guard misses his first attempt at the basket, but he leaps to snag the ball over the trio of Broncos.

Even though Austin is smothered underneath, he rises up past Dugan and scores. He screams while running down the court, likely wishing for an and-one opportunity due to the contact underneath.

Austin registers 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in the first round win, while Roundtree tosses in 20 points, five rebounds and six assists. DiLeo adds 14 points, shooting 4-of-7 from deep.

"I think tonight's game was a good sample of what we've seen all year, which was guys playing extremely hard, not always executing as well as we'd like, but winning it on toughness, determination and battling," Davis said.

CMU 51, WMU 41 (2H, 13:59)

Less than four minutes later, right near the 10-minute mark, CMU's advantage extends to 60-43 on DiLeo's triple. With 3:35 to play, Davis unleashes a smile as his team controls a 69-54 lead. Normally, Davis doesn't show any signs of happiness late in games, but this time was different.

This time was special.

"Probably more of a relief," Davis said of his emotions. "When it came down to the last couple minutes, it was a relief, especially when you beat Western."

Central Michigan coach Keno Davis looks down the court at his team on Feb. 11 in McGuirk Arena.

Looking past everything else, only one thing truly matters to CMU – Cleveland. Storming into the media room following the 81-67 victory, Roundtree solidifies his emotions.

"We're going to Cleveland, baby," he shouts with a smile. "We're going to Cleveland."

Mission Two: Kent State

The first mission might be in the books, but as everyone knows, it takes four complete games to earn the coveted crown, the MAC Tournament championship.

Next up on CMU's list is No. 4 Kent State, a group the Chippewas took down 84-74 at McGuirk Arena on Feb. 19. In that contest, star player Jalen Walker was held to 14 points on 2-of-16 shooting from the field.

"Postseason, win or go home," Roundtree said. "Jalen Walker ain't going to beat our whole team, so it's Kent State versus Central Michigan. That's the game."

The quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament for the Chippewas tips off at approximately 2:30 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

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