Buzzer beater seals 62-61 win for men's basketball
After trailing by as many as 19 points, Central Michigan found itself trailing by one point with two seconds remaining.
Senior Jermaine Jackson Jr.'s layup narrowly beat the buzzer to give the Chippewas a 62-61 win over Eastern Illinois on Monday.
The Chippewas are now 1-2 on the season after their third of seven-straight road games to start the season. The Panthers are now 0-3.
“I talked to the guys about not letting what's happening on the offensive end of the floor dictate your fight,” said head coach Tony Barbee. “There is nothing that controls that but you and tonight we had a chance to hang our heads and go away but the guys fought their tails off.”
How It Happened
After a 5-0 run pulled the Chippewas within one point early in the first, turnovers would allow the Panthers to gain momentum, scoring the games next 19 points for a 32-12 lead. CMU freshman Jack Webb created a spark with a three to end the five minute scoring drought.
With the Chippewas down by 19, a pile up under the basket resulted in a rebound from junior Caleb Hodgson allowed Jackson to nail a wide-open 3-pointer to start a 9-2 CMU run. The Panthers kept pace to claim a 42-29 lead entering intermission.
The Chippewas came out of the half with vengeance, as junior guard Oscar Lopez scored first of the half and put the Chippewas within 10 points. CMU adjusted to play a 2-3 zone defensively to stymie EIU. Trailing by five with less than four minutes to play, Healy drained his third 3-pointer of the second half to pull the Chippewas within two.
The opportunities for the Chippewas kept surfacing as freshman Kevin Miller picked up a loose ball at the Panthers basket, taking it down the court and spinning up to the rim to tie the game at 58 all. Miller drove to the free-throw line and drained his step-back jumper to give CMU a 60-58 lead with less than a minute to play. With 10 seconds left, EIU's Kejuan Clements spotted Cj Lane open in the corner. He hit from beyond the arc to take the lead 61-60.
With just enough time, Barbee called a timeout to keep two seconds left. Jack Webb made a baseball pass to half court that was initially kocked away by the Panthers. Jackson recovered the ball, sprinted to the hole and made a lay-up as the buzzer rang, capping a 13-3 run for CMU's first win of the year.
Key Performers
Jackson and Healy had a game-high of 14 points. Miller ended the game with 11 points and three steals. Brian Taylor and Harrison Henderson had eight rebounds.
Forward Sammy Guard had a team-high 12 points and six rebounds. Sophomore guard Henry Abraham had 11 points and six rebounds. Clements a game-high of 9 rebounds.
Key Stats
CMU committed 11 turnovers. EIU finished with 17 overall and nine in the second half.
The Chippewas went on a 13-3 scoring run in the last five minutes of the game. The Chippewas were out rebounded by the Panthers 36-42.
What’s Next
The Chippewas continue their travels as they head to Las Vegas, Nev. to take on No. 1 Gonzaga at 11 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9.
