Men's basketball blown out by Minnesota for first loss of season
Central Michigan head coach Keno Davis looks opposing team's score during a game against Michigan-Dearborn Nov. 5 at McGuirk Arena.
Central Michigan men's basketball is back to reality.
Following a 4-0 start to the 2019-20 season, the Chippewas were given their first nonconference test in a clash against Big Ten foe Minnesota.
The Golden Gophers entered the contest as the worst team in the Big Ten with a 1-3 overall record, losing to Oklahoma, Butler and Utah.
Despite its struggles early in the season, Minnesota had no problem controlling the narrative Thursday at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, handing Central Michigan an 82-57 loss.
Senior guard Kevin McKay led the Chippewas (4-1) with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while fellow senior guard Dallas Morgan was the only other Chippewa in double figures with 10 points.
Commanded by eighth-year coach Keno Davis, the team relies heavily on the 3-point shot but was just 5-for-22 from downtown, a 22.7% clip. Meanwhile, Minnesota was 50.8% from the field and went 14-for-30 from beyond the arc.
"When you're playing a team like a Minnesota, a Power 5 team that's a second round NCAA Tournament team from a year ago, just because they've lost to a couple of Power 5 teams doesn't mean they're not as good as those teams," Davis said. "Just trying to play a team equal and play the exact same way as they do is not the best recipe.
"Even though there were some negatives out there, I think there were some big positives for us moving forward."
Three players scored in double figures for the Golden Gophers – redshirt sophomore guard Marcus Carr (19 points), redshirt junior guard Payton Willis (18) and sophomore guard Gabe Kalscheur (15). Carr added three rebounds and seven assists.
Sophomore center Daniel Oturu, who stands at 6-foot-10, dominated the paint, finishing with nine points, 12 rebounds and one assist in 27 minutes.
The first four games for CMU this season were against Michigan-Dearborn (102-62), Mississippi Valley State (134-78), Sam Houston State (84-77) and Siena Heights (115-58).
Of the 353 teams in NCAA Division I, Mississippi Valley State is ranked No. 349 and Sam Houston State is No. 174. Meanwhile, Michigan-Dearborn and Siena Heights are members of the NAIA, a much lower competition level than Division I.
The Golden Gophers served as a wake-up call.
Minnesota went on a 15-0 run just past the midway point of the first half for a 38-20 lead before senior forward Rob Montgomery scored on a dunk to make it a 16-point deficit with 4:21 left before halftime.
Even though the Chippewas were 7-for-7 from the free throw line at the time, Davis' team was down 48-29 after 20 minutes of play. McKay had eight points, while Morgan chipped in six.
Junior guard Travon Broadway Jr. had five points, and he finished with the same amount.
Central Michigan hoped to even the score to open the second half, but Minnesota didn't let that happen by going on a 10-0 run out of the break for a 58-29 lead.
It was all downhill from there.
The only notable run made by the Chippewas was a 12-0 run capped off by McKay's layup. The series of points trimmed CMU's deficit to 58-41 at the 14:10 mark of the second half.
Shortly after CMU's run, Minnesota went back to the way it had been playing throughout the contest.
The Golden Gophers went ahead by 25 points, 70-45, on a 3-pointer from Willis with 11:14 remaining in the game. The lead was extended to 81-50 just five minutes later.
Along with having a poor shooting night, CMU was outrebounded 43-34, only had nine assists and turned the ball over 13 times.
Minnesota opened the game with a 7-0 lead on baskets from Alihan Demir, Oturu and Kalscheur before senior forward David DiLeo put the Chippewas on the board with a free throw at the 16:52 mark.
Davis noted McKay's performance as a highlight of the night.
"He knew that a team like Minnesota would come out and pressure the 3-point line," Davis said. "He was able to have really good shot selection, really good finishes around the rim, and was working really hard defensively. I'm really proud for what he was able to do tonight."
Up next
Central Michigan returns home for a 2 p.m. Nov. 23 matchup against Trinity Christian at McGuirk Arena.
The Trolls are 3-6 in the 2019-20 season with losses to St. Ambrose, Cornerstone, Lawrence Tech, Saint Xavier, St. Francis and Calumet. The three wins were against Wright State-Lake Campus, Evangel and Moody Bible.
Just like Michigan-Dearborn and Siena Heights, Trinity Christian is a program from the NAIA.
