Men's basketball picks up first road win over Toledo
Central Michigan guard Devontae Lane reacts after scoring against Miami (OH) Jan. 4 at McGuirk Arena.
Toledo's Marreon Jackson sank a 3-pointer to put his team up, 59-53, with 8:02 to play in the game.
Facing a six-point deficit and in danger of losing its eighth road game of the season, coach Keno Davis and the Central Michigan men's basketball team needed a basket to keep the Rockets from running away.
Enter junior guard Devontae Lane.
Lane scored five straight points to cut the lead to a single point, and senior guard Dallas Morgan followed that with a jumper to give the Chippewas the lead with 5:57 to play.
Central Michigan rallied down the stretch in the second half to secure its first road victory of the season Tuesday night by defeating Toledo, 74-67, at Savage Arena.
The Chippewas were led in scoring by Morgan, who poured in 22 points. Lane and senior forward David DiLeo each had 16 while senior forward Rob Montgomery grabbed 11 rebounds.
DiLeo carried the load early on, hitting his first three shots to score his team's first seven points. The Iowa City native had all 16 of his points at the break but the Chippewas trailed 41-38. Central Michigan shot just 28% from beyond the arc in the opening half while the Rockets were above 50% from 3-point range.
Morgan had just two points at the break but emerged from the locker room with vengeance.
The senior scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, providing the Chippewas with a scoring presence each time they needed one.
Toledo stretched its lead to eight points twice. But each time, CMU clawed back with a quick bucket to prevent further damage.
After Morgan hit the jumper to give his team the lead, Toledo's Willie Jackson answered to give his team a one-point advantage. It was the Rockets' last lead of the night.
Junior guard Deschon Winston hit two free throws, Morgan hit a triple and the Chippewas quickly reeled off an 9-0 run. CMU led, 69-61, with 2:07 to play following Lane's layup. Morgan hit four consecutive free throws and the Chippewas were able to close out the victory over the two-time defending Mid-American Conference West Division champions.
Toledo was led offensively by Jackson, who scored 15 points, and Luke Knapke added 14. The Chippewas outrebounded the Rockets 41-35 and outscored them 34-18 in the paint.
The Chippewas next take the floor at 2 p.m. Saturday in McGuirk Arena against the defending conference champion, Buffalo.
