Three takeaways from Central Michigan's win over Maimi (Ohio) in MAC opener
Kevin McKay takes the floor before Central Michigan's Jan. 4 game against Miami (Ohio) in McGuirk Arena.
Chalk up the first one in the win column for Central Michigan.
The Chippewas (8-6, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) jumped out to an early lead in the first half and grinded out a 93-82 win over Miami (Ohio) Saturday in McGuirk Arena in the team's conference opener.
With the win, coach Keno Davis moved his record to 5-3 in MAC openers and 3-2 when it is played at home.
Saturday's win also snaps a four-game losing streak and keeps the Chippewas undefeated at home this season after winning all of their nonconference games in McGuirk Arena.
The Chippewas return to action at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Northern Illinois, again in McGuirk Arena.
Here are three takeaways from Central Michigan's 93-82 win over Miami.
Guard play imperative for Chippewas
Junior Devontae Lane sat out of the Chippewas' Dec. 28 game at Purdue due to injury. He returned Saturday and made his presence felt early.
Lane hit all three of his first 3-point attempts in the first half and led the way with 13 points in the first 20 minutes. He finished with 14 points.
Seniors Dallas Morgan and Kevin McKay each impacted the game with Morgan coming on strong in the second half.
Morgan had just four points in the first half but asserted his presence coming out of the locker room with a team-high 23 points. He also was able to score in transition on several occasions in the second half to give CMU all the momentum it needed.
Likewise, McKay scored six points in the first half but tacked on two assists. He finished with 13 points and a team-high four assists on the day. Additionally, McKay blocked a 3-point attempt which could have swung momentum in the RedHawks' favor if it were to go in.
Juniors Deschon Winston and Travon Broadway Jr. also had strong showings to supplement the offense to the team's first win since Dec. 6.
For CMU to find success throughout the conference season, the team's guards will need to find performances liked they were able to against the RedHawks.
Aggressive defensive mindset critical
The Chippewas are a smaller team than most in the MAC and might be outrebounded by those teams.
That said, CMU can create turnovers and force opponents into mistakes to even out the disadvantage down low.
Against Miami, the Chippewas were able to steal the ball 11 times and force 17 RedHawk turnovers and score 23 points from those takeaways. Additionally, CMU outrebounded Miami, 35-32.
However, as CMU works its way through the conference schedule, the team will need to find ways to force turnovers against the bigger teams such as Buffalo and Toledo.
Learning to win tough games
During the nonconference season, the Chippewas were able to take a lead early in their road games before falling, all by double digits.
In the team's first MAC game, CMU was able to grab the lead early on and never relinquish it.
When Miami would draw close to either tying the game or taking the lead, the Chippewas were able to make a run and push their lead by as many as 15 with five minutes to play in the second half.
CMU has proved it can win games at home and it can close out opponents. For Davis and company, the next step is to take that ability to win games on the road during the conference season.
