Central Michigan has dropped its first five games against the East division, but at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Oxford, Ohio. The Chippewas are still uncertain of Trey Zeigler’s status.

The RedHawks are last in the MAC East with a 7-15 overall record and 3-7 in the MAC.

Miami forward Julian Mavunga is tied for the conference lead in scoring with Toledo’s Rian Pearson, averaging 17.3 points per game.

Along with a winless record against the MAC East, CMU is in the midst of an eight-game losing streak and junior Finnis Craddock said the team has to do whatever it takes to get a win.

“Whatever we can do, whatever we can do is what it’s going to take,” he said. “Hard work and dedication.”

That hard work and dedication might need to come from the defense, which has quite possibly been its best offense lately.

In the 66-62 loss Wednesday against Buffalo, the Chippewas forced 14 turnovers and scored 21 points of them.

“It’s a huge part for us,” said head coach Ernie Zeigler said after the loss to Buffalo. “I thought guys did an excellent job of executing our game plan. We were able to get out in transition. Derek (Jackson) got a couple of alley-oop dunks out of it, and that’s how we have to manufacture points when you struggle to knock down those open ones.”

After Mavunga, the RedHawks take a huge hit offensively. Mavunga averages almost seven more points than the team’s second-leading scorer, Brian Sullivan.

Point guard Jorddan Myrick will continue to be out of the lineup because of a lingering hip injury according to Ernie.

Expect backup point guard John Morris to see extended minutes in the absence of Myrick. He played 12 minutes in Wednesday’s loss, dishing out three assists.

Trey Zeigler went flying into the Buffalo bench with 5:39 remaining during the first half Wednesday at McGuirk Arena.

Zeigler, who is Central Michigan men’s basketball team’s leading scorer, attempted to return, but couldn’t. Head coach Ernie Zeigler said it was a lower-back injury and Trey will be re-evaluated.

Despite the injury, CMU rallied without the sophomore guard, but couldn’t overcome the physical play from Buffalo.

It lost 66-62, dropping its eighth-straight game.

“It’s frustrating, because we still can’t pull out a win,” said junior guard Finnis Craddock. “It’s tough, but in the locker room, we keep telling each other that we need to stay together and we have to keep fighting to dig out of this.”

The main contributor in Trey’s absence was forward Olivier Mbaigoto.

The junior scored a team-high 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting and led a comeback that fell short.

The Chippewas went on a 10-0 run late in second half, cutting an 11-point UB lead down to one.

But the game was sealed when Buffalo forward Mitchell Watt swatted away the Chippewas chances of winning.

Austin McBroom stole the ball from Jarod Oldham, but was rejected by Watt with 1:18 remaining in a four-point game.

McBroom, who scored 11 points, appeared to have an uncontested layup, but couldn’t cut it to a one-possession game after Watt sent the ball back. CMU never got closer from that point on.

“We’re going to remain confident in what we’re doing,” Ernie said after the loss.

The frontcourt tandem of Javon McCrea and Watt were a main reason why CMU still carry the losing streak.

McCrea dropped a team-high 16 points and Watt scored 15. McCrea also hauled 10 rebounds and Watt had seven.

Their ability to rebound the ball helped lead a 48-27 outburst on the glass for the Bulls.

“They’re just a one-two punch,” Ernie said. “Both of them can score. Both of them made plays down the stretch that sealed the game for them.”

CMU guard Austin Keel kept the team in it down the stretch, knocking down 3-of-5 3-point attempts, but the struggles on the glass were too much to overcome.

Ernie said the lack of ‘quality’ depth in the front court was too much to withstand losing Trey.

Buffalo’s struggles at the free-throw line (10-for-23), kept the Chippewas around and they took advantage.

CMU went to the line 20 times in the second half, making 17, but still couldn’t muster up a victory.

The Chippewas have their last chance to get a win against a Mid-American Conference East opponent at 3:30 p.m. Saturday against Miami (OH) in Oxford, Ohio.

Sophomore guard Trey Zeigler has gotten help offensively, the big men have sporadically out-rebounded opponents, but the team has not found a way to get over the hump.

The Chippewas haven’t shot above 39 percent from the field in 15 of the team’s 22 games this season. When they do, they are 5-2. Head coach Ernie Zeigler said he needs to see more confidence from his shooters.

“Some of these (missed shots) have just been point-blank layups,” Ernie said. “They’ve contributed to teams going on extended runs against us and where we’ve gone through these scoring droughts of two, three and four minutes at a time.”

Some of these extended runs have contributed to the reason CMU looks to snap a seven-game losing streak at 7 p.m. today against Buffalo at McGuirk Arena.

“I think everyone is confident,” Ernie said. “We talked about keep fighting to get better. It’s a new week, new day, and we need to keep fighting to get better. There’s a light at the end of this tunnel, and yes, we’re deep in the tunnel right now, but we got to find a way to scratch and claw and let that light shine through.”

Finding the light will be difficult against a Buffalo team that’s tied on top of the Mid-American Conference in scoring, averaging 75.4 points per game.

It won’t help that the Chippewas are thin in the front court, an aspect the Bulls dominate.

Buffalo hauled 18 offensive rebounds in a 72-65 victory Saturday against Toledo. The Bulls are fourth in the MAC in category and first in defensive rebounds.

“It’s going to be tough, because it is one of their trademarks,” Ernie said about the physicality and rebounding ability of Buffalo. “It’s definitively going to be a key, key point of emphasis for us if we’re going to have some success here.”

CMU will be without point guard Jorddan Myrick, who has re-aggregated a hip injury. Ernie said he will be held out at least until Monday.

Myrick, a freshman, has started in one game and has played in 14.

“They were just better,” said Ernie Zeigler. “Better than us at every position.”

And after a 68-42 loss against Ohio Saturday in Athens, Ohio, the Central Michigan men’s basketball head coach is now tasked with finding a way to change course. His team has lost seven straight games — at one time looking like it would be able to compete for a Mid-American Conference West Division title, now fighting to stay out of the league basement.

In what has become a sure bet the past few seasons, CMU struggled offensively out of the gate. The Chippewas fell behind 9-1 in the first three minutes after following a triad of 3-pointers from guards Nick Kellogg and D.J. Cooper.

A Trey Zeigler jumper with 10:16 to go in the first half cut the Bobcats’ lead to 15-11, but that was as close as CMU got the rest of the game. And despite its initial scoring burst, Ohio struggled to shoot the basketball in the first half – shooting just 32 percent from the field and went 4-for-20 in 3-point attempts.

The caveat? The Chippewas weren’t any better, and closed the half shooting 30.8 percent and 1-for-12 from long range. Throw in nine turnovers and 12 OU points off those turnovers and the Bobcats end the half with a comfortable 33-20 lead.

“It’s very difficult (to come back) when you’re playing against a good team, and we’ve been playing against some good teams,” Zeigler said, referring to Ohio’s MAC-best 19-4 overall record and the Chippewas recent losses against perennial MAC East contenders Akron (16-7, 8-1 MAC) and Kent State (16-6). “To overcome going down by double digits early, it makes it very difficult to come back against very good teams.”

The defensive struggles continued in the second half, with OU extending its lead to 16 on a 3-point bucket  from Kellogg (14 points on 5-of-11 shooting) within the first 30 seconds. When junior forward Olivier Mbaigoto responded with a jumper on the  next CMU possession, Ohio junior forward Walter Offutt (game-high 17 points, including four 3-pointers) answered with another 3-pointer of his own.

From there on out, scoring droughts stifled any opportunity for the CMU offense. After Mbaigoto’s jumper at the 18:59 mark, the Chippewas could not muster a field goal — Mbaigoto did make three free throws — for more than five minutes. Later in the half, a four-minute scoreless span was ended when Mbaigoto hit a 3-pointer with 7:45 to go, but Ohio’s lead had blossomed to 20 points. The Bobcats improve to 19-4 overall, a MAC-best, and 7-1 in the league.

Mbaigoto led the team with 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting, while the three scorers relied upon for most of the offensive production (sophomore guards Trey Zeigler and Derek Jackson and freshman Austin McBroom) combined for just 24 points and nine rebounds. Trey had most of those with 10 points and six rebounds.

CMU (7-15, 2-7 MAC) converted just 27 percent of its shots in the second half. Ohio shot a much-improved 50 percent, including 7-of-10 from behind the 3-point line.

“You have to give Ohio credit,” Ernie Zeigler said. “They did a really good job of keying in on our main offensive options, and we struggled to make some open shots as well. They came in with a great gameplan, from the coaching on down. They dominated us in every area.”

And now CMU turns its attention to Buffalo, a team that pushed the Chippewas around — beating them by double digits — twice last season, even knocking them out in the first round of the MAC tournament. The Bulls enter Wednesday’s game at McGuirk Arena 14-6 overall and 7-2 in the MAC, and could very well be CMU’s final chance to try and turn around a once-promising season.

Despite the seven-game slide, Zeigler said he and his staff will continue pushing and teaching his players along the way.

“When you have a young team, that’s all you can do,” Zeigler said. “I’m my stated self. I’m always extremely confident in what we’re doing and how we’re going about it.”

CMU lost its sixth-straight game 67-60 Tuesday night against Kent State at McGuirk Arena, falling to 2-6 in MAC play.

“Wow, the frustration continues,” head coach Ernie Zeigler said. “Our kids gave great effort and I’m really pleased with how were fighting and battling, but unfortunately, you have to be able to execute in certain situations.”

The frustration mounted after halftime when CMU allowed one of its patented second-half runs, allowing KSU seven-straight points to open the half.

The Chippewas have allowed major runs to open the second half in games against Tennessee State, Western Michigan and now KSU.

CMU controlled the first half, but a late 3-pointer from guard Randall Holt tied the game at 32 heading into the locker room.

Holt, who had his third 20-plus point game of the season, had a game-high 23 points.

“When you’re playing against teams that have the balance, which we’re hoping to get, you have to pick your poison,” Zeigler said. “And Justin Greene, we knew he could have that type of night, so you’re giving attention to him because we are so limited with our depth up front. We were looking to double him…trying to spy him and they got multiple guys that can make shots. Holt, he did a heck of a job.”

CMU found scorers to surround guard Trey Zeigler in the first half, something that has been lacking. Junior forward Olivier Mbaigoto was aggressive offensively, scoring his six points all from the foul line, but was absent in the second half, scoring just two.

Freshman point guard Austin McBroom continued his hot scoring touch. He had nine in the first half, finishing with a team-high 19 points.

“We just need to be able to finish in the clutch,” Trey said of the six-game losing streak. “We had the game until the end. Too many mistakes, missed shots, missed free throws, turnovers. We’ve got to be able to finish.”

With 14:21 remaining, and the Chippewas down nine, Ernie was whistled for his second technical foul in as many games.

Holt extended the lead to 11 on the technical free throws, but CMU fought back. A jumper by center Andre Coimbra with 10:26 remaining shaved it to a two-point game, but it never was closer.

Despite the loss, CMU showed hustle throughout, especially in the first half. The team out-rebounded the Golden Flashes 19-10 in the first half, and hauled down nine offensive boards. That translated into an 11-1 advantage in second-chance points.

CMU fell 3 and a half games behind Eastern Michigan for the MAC-West conference lead.

The Chippewas have dropped their past three home games. They go on the road at 2 p.m. Saturday against Ohio in Athens, Ohio. The Bobcats are 17-4 overall and 5-2 in MAC play.

Senior forward Andre Coimbra left, and sophomore guard Derek Jackson talk things over during the first half of Saturday night's game against Akron at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant. Coimbra finished the game with five points and four rebounds, while Jakcson finished with a team high 21 points, two assists and three rebounds during the 74-64 loss to the Zips. (Andrew Kuhn/Staff Photographer)

Olivier Mbaigoto’s free throws with 11:43 remaining snapped an unusual streak during the Central Michigan men’s basketball 74-64 loss Saturday against Akron in McGuirk Arena.

Prior to the free throws, Austin McBroom, Trey Zeigler and Derek Jackson were the only Chippewas to score.

“Those three have been a constant all season,” head coach Ernie Zeigler said. “We know we lean on that freshman and those two sophomores offensively. It is tough when you look at our shooting percentages, particularly over the past five games. We’ve been consistently in the thirties.”

Mbaigoto finished with eight points on 2-of-9 shooting, and Andre Coimbra scored five points before fouling out in a crucial point of the game with 1:35 remaining.

Freshman guard Jorddan Myrick and junior forward Jevon Harden made unusual starts for the Chippewas in place of McBroom and Mbaigoto.

The regular starters were the only players to score consistently.

“Just to shake things up a little bit,” Ernie said of the different starting lineup. “When you’ve lost four games in row, things just don’t stay the same. We started Myrick because we thought he could start off and get some pressure on the ball, and not allow Derek to wear down because we knew we wanted Derek to pressure as well.”

McBroom, Trey and Jackson shot 18-of-43 from the field, but the rest of the team was just 4-of-23 for 13 points.

“Our young guys, they have to attack more,” Jackson said. “Us as leaders, we have to coach them how to come out and be aggressive.”

On the opposite side, the Zips had nine scorers, and have three scorers within the top 30 of the Mid-American Conference.

When the Chippewas had balanced scoring with Mbaigoto and Coimbra, they played better as a team. Despite losing by 10, the Chippewas outscored the Zips 36-34 in the second half.

Junior guard John Morris, who is usually the second point guard off the bench, didn’t play because of a coach’s decision.

Sophomore guard Trey Zeigler gets by Akron's Quincy Diggs during the first half of Saturday night's game at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant. Zeigler finished the game with 16 points, three assists and nine rebounds during the 74-64 loss to the Zips. (Andrew Kuhn/Staff Photographer)

The effort was there Saturday from the Central Michigan men’s basketball team, but it just wasn’t enough to overcome an early double-digit deficit against the top dog in the Mid-American Conference.

Down 31-13 with six minutes to go in the first half, CMU began digging itself out of a whole in the second half. The Chippewas whittled the Zips lead to single digits before going on an 8-3 run and pulling within three following a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Derek Jackson with 3:21 remaining in the game.

But just as quickly as the team got itself back into the game, MAC-leading Akron rattled off eight consecutive points, highlighted by an offensive rebound and subsequent three-point play by center Zeke Marshall following a missed free throw.

Akron, shooting nearly 49 percent, held on to beat the Chippewas 74-64 before 1,787 at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant.

“It’s a game of moments, of instances,” said CMU head coach Ernie Zeigler. “We’re not tough enough in that moment to make those tough plays, be it at the rebounds or knocking down a foul shot to cut it to one or two. It’s (about) seizing those moments.”

Jackson, who scored a game-high 21 points, led an almost exclusive three-pronged CMU scoring attack that included fellow sophomore guard Trey Zeigler (16 points, nine rebounds) and freshman Austin McBroom (14 points, six rebounds). But it wasn’t until others got in the mix that drew the CMU offense closer.

Free throws by junior forward Olivier Mbaigoto with 11:43 to go in the game cut Akron’s lead to 52-44. Mbaigoto followed up minutes later with a 3-pointer, again pulling the Chippewas to within eight. Mbaigoto scored eight points in the game, while junior forward Andre Coimbra added five points, the only other CMU scorers.

The Chippewas shot 33.3 percent in the game, the fifth consecutive game they have shot below 40 percent.

“If you look at the stat sheet tonight, 2-for-10 (Coimbra), 6-for-17 (Zeigler), 2-for-9 (Mbaigoto) … you just have to have some other guys give you some balance,” Ernie Zeigler said. “These guys are working at it, and we’re going to continue to nurture and try and develop that consistent fourth or fifth guy in the rotation.”

Zeigler also voiced his displeasure with the discrepancy in fouls called. CMU was whistled for eight more fouls than Akron (16), sending the Zips to the foul line 36 times. Akron converted 22 of those. The Chippewas, however, were 11-of-13 from the line.

“Those are numbers that you usually see when you’re on the road,” Zeigler said. “But I guess that comes with wearing that bulls-eye with being the No. 1 team in the conference… to go on the road and be able to get those type of opportunities.”

Marshall and forward Nick Harney each scored 13 points for Akron (14-7, 6-1 MAC).

The loss extends the Chippewas losing streak to five games, dropping them to 7-13 overall and 2-5 in the MAC. CMU has not won a game in more than two weeks, a close 60-56 win against Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti.

And it doesn’t get any easier in the next week. CMU welcomes in Kent State (14-6, 4-3 MAC) on Tuesday, which beat Toledo with ease Saturday on the road, and travels to Ohio next Saturday.

“We are a young team,” Jackson said. “We have to get off to better starts in both halves. It seems like we’re always coming back, itching back.

“It’s hard. We just have to keep fighting, and preparing (for Kent State). Hopefully we can get off this losing streak.”

Tipoff Tuesday against the Golden Flashes is set for 7 p.m. at McGuirk Arena. The game will be broadcast live on SportsTime Ohio.

CMU head coach Ernie Zeigler looks on during a loss to Western Michigan last season. On Wednesday, CMU fell 71-58 to Bowling Green, extending its losing streak to four games. (File photo by Andrew Kuhn/Staff Photographer)

A conference season that once appeared promising is now fading — and quickly.

The Central Michigan men’s basketball team dropped its fourth consecutive game Wednesday, shooting 36 percent in a 71-58 loss against Bowling Green before 2,009 at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio.

The Chippewas fall to 7-12 overall and 2-4 in the Mid-American Conference, a full two games behind MAC-West leading Ball State.

“I thought we came out with really good energy to battle, get rebounds and put ourselves in a position to make some plays defensively,” CMU head coach Ernie Zeigler said afterward. “Unfortunately, we could not make buckets in the first half. We just struggled, struggled, struggled … (there) was like a lid on the basket.”

The Chippewas came out scrappy, outrebounding Bowling Green 25-19 in the first half – they even converted 12 second-chance points off 10 offensive rebounds. But every other shot, it seemed like, would not fall.

CMU shot a paltry 23.5 percent (8-for-34) and fell behind 31-21 by halftime.

The second half wasn’t much better, despite an offensive flurry from sophomore guard Trey Zeigler. After BGSU opened up a 16-point lead early in the second half, Zeigler, battling the flu all week, and junior guard Finis Craddock helped cut the deficit to 9 points with 10:40 to go. The Falcons responded with a 10-2 run and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

Zeigler finished with a game-high 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting and 10 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season. The rest of the CMU team shot 15-for-39 (30 percent) and 4-of-7 in 3-point attempts.

“He’s trying to respond, he’s trying to mature,” Zeigler said of his son. “We all know what he’s capable of. He gave us everything he had out there. If he continues to give that type of effort, it’s going to allow him to grow and hopefully affect our play as a team as well.”

BGSU (9-10, 3-3 MAC) had four players in double figures, with forwards Scott Thomas and A’uston Calhoun and guard Jordan Crawford each scoring 14 points. Calhoun added 11 rebounds for a double-double, while Crawford added seven assists for the Falcons.

Senior forward Andre Coimbra (12 points, most of which came in the first half) was the only other CMU player to score in double figures. Guards Derek Jackson and Austin McBroom each scored 3 points. The Chippewas outrebounded BGSU 41-29 for the game.

Suspension

Redshirt freshman Auston Barnes did not make the trip to Bowling Green with the team after he was suspended by head coach Ernie Zeigler for what CMU is calling “a violation of team rules.”

Barnes, a 6-foot-6, 196-pound forward from Lansing Waverly High School, has played a total of 67 minutes in 16 games this season. He played 10 minutes Saturday against Western Michigan, recording a pair of steals and rebound in the Chippewas’ 64-61 loss to the Broncos.

The Chippewas return home to host MAC East-leading Akron on Saturday. Tipoff against the Zips (13-7, 5-1 MAC) is set for 7 p.m. at McGuirk Arena.

Sophomore Trey Zeigler, center, will likely sit out of tonight's game against Bowling Green. (Jake May/Staff Photographer)

The Central Michigan men’s basketball team might have to try to snap a three-game losing streak without its leading scorer at 7 p.m. today at Bowling Green.

Sophomore guard Trey Zeigler, the Mid-American Conference’s fourth leading scorer, has flu-like symptoms, according to head coach Ernie Zeigler. Ernie said Trey has been vomiting and if he feels that way tonight, he most likely won’t play.

The Chippewas will have to look to others without their leading scorer.

Trey’s 16 points-per-game is 4.3 points per game more than sophomore guard Derek Jackson – the team’s second-leading scorer.

On Feb. 2, 2011, the Chippewas last faced the Falcons, beating them 69-64 in McGuirk Arena. But CMU leaders in that game were seniors that have since left.

Senior guard Dee Brown, the team’s fourth-leading scorer, went 7-for-10 in the loss against the Chippewas, scoring a game-high 20 points.

Junior forward A’uston Calhoun scored a game-high 29 points in the BGSU loss Saturday against Buffalo. He was in foul trouble the last time these two teams met, but was able to score 15 points.

This game begins a six-game stretch for CMU against MAC East opponents.

“It’s very important to get a win, especially coming off these three games,” said freshman guard Austin McBroom. “We’ve lost three games. It’s big to get a win, especially against the (MAC) East, to get us going further on in the season.”

Assists improving

The Chippewas are slowly improving their ball movement. In the 73-52 loss against Ball State on Jan. 18, CMU mustered up four assists.

Three days later, McBroom lead the team with six of the team’s 13 assists.

“It’s extremely important, especially because we have a lot more than one scorer on the team,” McBroom said about having ball movement. “When we get that ball moving, a lot of people have open shots, and can hit them.”

McBroom is the main facilitator, but when Trey or Jackson struggle offensively, he knows he has the ability to make shots.

He is one 3-point make shy of tying Jackson for the team lead. McBroom has 34 baskets from behind the 3-point and has a team-leading 46.6 percent from that range.

“It’s on how the game is going,” McBroom said in regard to if he passes or shoots the ball more. “If (Trey and Jackson) are struggling, then I feel the need to step up and try to see what I can do on offense.

“If not, then I have to get them the ball and see what they can do on offense.”

CMU sophomore guard Trey Zeigler missed 3-pointer with five seconds left as CMU lost to WMU Saturday. (Andrew Kuhn/Staff Photographer)

Trey Zeigler and Austin Keel had 3-point shots that would  put Central Michigan in overtime Saturday afternoon against Western Michigan inside University Arena in Kalamazoo.

With CMU down three and 15 seconds left, Keel,  slipped on the inbound pass, forcing Zeigler to take a difficult 3-point attempt with five seconds remaining.

It was long, hitting the glass and rim before falling out, giving WMU a 64-61 victory in front of 3,958 fans.

Keel and Zeigler were one 3-pointer short after hitting three between the two of them in the final 4:10, cutting an 11 point lead to four.

“We drew up a play for Keel to get a catch-and-shoot opportunity and Western switched every screen, so he ended up getting denied,” Zeigler said. “It was just kind of a broken play and Austin (McBroom) tried to make a play, then I just popped up and tried to get a shot attempt.”

CMU took a one-point lead into the halftime. But baskets by sophomore center Matt Stainbrook and senior forward Flenard Whitfield sparked a 10-0 run, giving the Broncos a 44-33 lead in the second half.

“They made some shots and got out in transition,” said head coach Ernie Zeigler. “During that 10-0 run, we missed some shots. Those first four possessions we started the second half, we missed three wide-open shots that we forced some turnovers on and we had a chance and it could have been a run the other way.”

Trey struggled to make anything in the first half, shooting 3-for-11. In the second half he stepped up.

The sophomore guard knocked down 5-of-6 free throws and continuously found ways to keep his team in the game.

He received a pass from sophomore guard Derek Jackson on the left baseline with the Chippewas down five and spun through Bronco defenders on his way to the basket for a lay in with 2:21 remaining.

“We were able to move him around to be a little more aggressive and he did a really good job of playing with great intensity and it’s something we hope we can build upon,” Ernie said about Trey.

Trey scored a game-high 19 points on 6-of-18 shooting. CMU forced 20 turnovers, but shot 34.4 percent from the field.
The Chippewas were outrebounded 39-26.

CMU (7-11, 2-3 in the Mid-American Conference) looks to snap its three-game losing streak at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Bowling Green in Bowling Green, Ohio.