Three takeaways from Central Michigan's 97-62 loss at Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Central Michigan's nonconference slate is over.
Following the Chippewas' 97-62 loss at Purdue in Mackey Arena on Saturday, they head into Mid-American Conference play next Saturday against Miami (Ohio).
CMU has dropped its last four games – all on the road against Valparaiso, Texas, Robert Morris and the Boilermakers – to finish the nonconference slate with a 7-6 record.
Following the Chippewas' fourth-straight loss, here are three takeaways as they head into MAC play.
Turnovers are costly
During the four-game road trip, CMU had costly turnovers that either kept it out of games or killed momentum it may have had.
Against Valparaiso and Robert Morris, the Chippewas had 16 turnovers while they had 19 in the loss to Texas.
In the game against Purdue, the Chippewas had 22 turnovers that led to 21 Boilermaker points.
Many of the mistakes in the 35-point loss to Purdue that led to the turnovers were overthrown passes or the placement of some bounce passes, which were easily intercepted.
Poor shooting detrimental
CMU was abysmal shooting the ball at Mackey Arena.
The team shot 22 of 58 (38%) from the field and 3 of 22 (14%) from 3-point range.
The Chippewas like to shoot the ball more and sometimes sacrifice ball movement for a quick shot to turn the momentum, and that's exactly what happened against the Boilermakers.
Rotation working well despite loss
Most teams Davis leads are generally seven-men deep. This team looks to have eight or even nine guys that can step into the fray and contribute.
A loss to a team like Purdue is not conducive to an entire season. The Boilermakers are a strong team that can compete in the Big Ten.
Players like senior guard Dallas Morgan or junior guards Travon Broadway Jr. add depth to that position and allow other seniors, Kevin McKay and David DiLeo, to step up and do what they need to lead the charge.
There is plenty of room for improvement for the Chippewas, with MAC play on the horizon, they have the chance to grow.
