Closing time: Senior night win serves as a reminder of past and glimpse of future, both on and off the court
In racing, the waving of a white flag signals the beginning of the end of a race. Drivers race around, making turns in search of the jubilation that comes with crossing the finish line first. The end of a college basketball season is marked by the pursuit of a similar emotion, albeit in a much different form.
Everyone wants to be the last one done.
Only one Division I college basketball team’s season will end with a win, the rest ending in heartbreaking fashion. Each student-athlete gets four seasons to chase the elusive championship, but 99 percent of them will come up empty.
On Friday night, seven Central Michigan men’s basketball players took the floor at McGuirk Arena for the final time. Forwards Rob Montgomery, David DiLeo and Michael Kemp, along with guards Dallas Morgan, Matty Smith, Corey Redman and Kevin McKay each took turns hoisting their framed jerseys and posing for pictures alongside family and friends.
“It’s kind of crazy,” DiLeo said after the game. “You have a moment of just taking it all in, you know, thinking back to where our basketball careers began. How we obviously came together.”
While Friday night’s 85-68 victory over Western Michigan didn’t signal the end of any of their careers, it was the metaphorical white flag – the beginning of the end. It pushed them one step closer to the inevitable moment, a moment where an obnoxious buzzer will signal the end of their respective careers in the Maroon and Gold.
Friday night proved to be an exhibition of everything these seniors still have in the tank.
There was McKay, who leads the team in rebounding and is fifth all-time in steals, scoring early inside and battling against Western Michigan’s giant duo of forwards. The Warren, Michigan native finished with seven points and four boards. McKay also had the highlight of the night, ripping a no-look pass to junior forward Romelo Burrell.
There was Montgomery going for 16 points and six boards. A two-year disciple of coach Keno Davis, Montgomery scored both inside and out to exploit Bronco forward Brandon Johnson through his athletic ability. Montgomery put the icing on the cake with a slam with under two minutes remaining.
Redman, from Boyne City, has become a fringe rotation player who provided solid outside shooting. He didn’t get the opportunity to show it off against the Broncos, however he exited to a rousing ovation late in the game.
Friday served as vindication for Kemp, whose basketball journey took him from Unionville to Mount Pleasant, where he began his tenure as a student manager. Eventually, he worked his way onto the roster through his hard work. Against the Broncos, Kemp checked in and played the final 36 seconds. It was his 11th appearance of the season.
Then, there was the display put on by Morgan and DiLeo. Morgan scored a game-high 20 while DiLeo added 16 points and eight boards.
For all the other’s efforts, there is something special about the connection between DiLeo and Morgan. DiLeo serving as the calm, cool presence while Morgan provides the fire, angrily thumping his chest and always looking to prod the best out of both he and his teammates. In the first half, the pair combined for seven points.
The second half, however, saw the two total 29 points on seven 3-pointers. The effort itself was good enough to keep close with the Broncos on its own, however the rest of the Chippewas got in on the action to put away their rival in dominating fashion.
Morgan got the second-half party started with a jumper. Montgomery followed with a layup and a triple, later adding a dunk after a McKay lay-in. After the Broncos cut the Chippewa lead to just three, DiLeo hit back-to-back triples, holding the follow-through pose for an extra second of flair to bump the advantage to nine.
“Once one guy gets going, I feel like that gets everyone in a rhythm,” Morgan said. “I know, once I saw Dave’s shot go in, with the crowd and the energy, that just put me in a rhythm right away.”
Morgan would hit his own set of consecutive triples later in the game. Both he and DiLeo would hit one last 3-pointer in the waning moments, Morgan’s coming on a high-glass bank at the shot clock buzzer. He smirked as the shot went through, clapping his hands together in anger that the ball banked in as opposed to a swish.
Perhaps Morgan’s happiest moment came after the game. After posing pictures with a large group of family, Morgan spent one-on-one time with his infant son, Dallas Jr., on the other end of the court. He implored his son to shoot at the 10-foot hoop with a mini-basketball, cheering his son on in the same way that his family cheers for him.
Peoria, Illinois senior Dallas Morgan getting a thumbs-up from his son before his final regular season game in a Chippewas uniform against WMU Friday, in McGuirk Arena.
It’s moments like the one between Morgan and his son that serve as reminders that, on a night meant for reminiscing, that there is indeed a life after basketball.
In the midst of a nine-game losing streak, the Chippewa seniors banded together and gave home fans a glimpse of everything they still have to give, as well as a reminder of everything they had already given.
On a night designed to celebrate the coming of age for seven student-athletes, it was truly a vintage performance.
And as the white flag of the 2019-2020 season waves, the Chippewas head into the Mid-American Conference Tournament with their feet on the gas – jockeying in search of a strong finish.
“When we get it clicking, we’ve got a lot of talent,” DiLeo said. “Obviously the nine-game losing streak wasn’t ideal, but we started out the season 6-2 and I don’t think that was a fluke. We’ve got a lot of talent and we can compete with anyone.”
