CMU men's basketball score season high 90 points in win over Davenport
Cutting Central Michigan men’s basketball's lead to just four points early in the second half, Davenport looked to make a comeback against the Chippewas. That was until CMU went on a 21-4 run giving the team a 21-point lead with 14 minutes to play.
CMU tacked on another point to its lead by the end of the game as the Chippewas picked up the 90-68 victory over Davenport. The win brings CMU to an overall 4-6 record on the season.
For the Chippewas, it was the highest scoring game of the season with four different players registering double-digits in the game.
CMU was led offensively by graduate guard Brian Taylor, who had a near triple double. He finished the game with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while also adding three blocks.
“It was a breakout game for me,” Brian Taylor said. “I've been struggling this whole season and I’ve just been putting in the work, staying in the gym, not giving up on the process and just for it to show in the game like this is really, really good.”
“It's good to see some guys have breakout games like Brian Taylor,” head coach Tony Barbee said. “Is he (Brian Taylor) going to have a 27 point, near triple double every night? Maybe not. But he is the kind of player who's capable of having 15 points, he's got the ability to do that.”
Freshman guard Cayden Vasco also chipped in 19 points for a new career high. Junior guard Derrick Butler stayed hot, having his third-straight double-digit scoring game, adding 14 points.
“It’s also good to see Cayden Vasco have a breakout game,” Barbee said. “He's (Vasco) a competitor. He works hard. He plays hard. He competes. He is better offensively than he gives himself credit for some struggles with his confidence, but it's not for lack of work.”
A spot CMU continued to struggle from was the free throw line. The Chippewas shot 63 percent (17-27) which is worse than their season average of 64 percent.
Davenport only trailing by seven at half had much to do with one player in particular. Guard Marcedus Leech Jr. had a team high 19 points with 15 of them coming in the first half.
Leech Jr.’s biggest bucket came right before the end of the first half as he made a three right before the buzzer. That shot brought CMU’s lead to just seven points.
After cutting CMU’s lead to four points in the second half Davenport couldn’t continue its momentum as CMU would go on a big run led by Brian Taylor as he scored 10 of the 21 points on the run.
The teams then went on a three-minute scoring drought before CMU secured the win, in a game that it never trailed in.
Central Michigan will have a quick turnaround as it hosts an 0-11 Detroit Mercy squad on Thursday with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
“The Detroit team is better than their record,” Barbee said. “They played a little bit of a gauntlet like we have a most of them away from home… They are a good team and they're scary, by the time this year ends, they're going to be in the hunt in their league.”
