Broncos tamed, CMU men's basketball rides to victory
The Central Michigan University men’s basketball seniors pose for a picture after the senior recognition ceremony at the basketball game against Western Michigan University at McGuirk Arena on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. The senior ceremony was held before tip off, allowing players' family members to join them on the court. (CM-Life | Jasmine Brookins)
The Central Michigan men's basketball was 4-0 against Western Michigan in the last four home games between the schools, but the memory of a 77-65 loss to the Broncos earlier in the season in Kalamazoo was still fresh in the mind of the senior class.
"We didn't like how we played against Western at Western, and individually I fouled out against them. I felt like I wasn't engaged in the game so I couldn't help my teammates," Tamario Adley said.
In front of a McGuirk Arena crowd of 2,888, Adley scored 25 points, helping the squad from Mount Pleasant avenge its loss earlier in the season in an 83-70 win over its heated rivals.
The win puts the Chippewas at 9-18 on the season and 5-9 in the Mid-American Conference. CMU sits at 9th place in the conference.
Before the game, the teams senior class and family members were recognized, despite one more home game remaining on the schedule.
"It felt great, there were a lot of people I hadn't seen in a couple months coming out to support me," Adley said about the ceremony. "It was a great feeling playing hard for my teammates and hard for my family to represent our name."
Adley along with Nathan Claerbaut, Nick Mullen, and Logan McIntire were the four players honored in the pregame ceremony.
Central Michigan controlled the game from the beginning, with the pair of Claerbaut and Mullen dominating the paint. The Bronco offenses lagged behind early allowing CMU to claim a 19-10 lead through the first 10 minutes.
Durral "Phat Phat" Brooks was the star of the offense early, finding 10 points in the first half, consistently making trips to the line off of shooting fouls which the Broncos struggled with all game.
"If you look at both of our lead guards there Tamario and Phat, being efficient and getting to the free throw line, taking care of the basketball, thats what we expect them to do," head coach Andy Bronkema said.
The Chippewas went into the locker room with a 40-33 lead. Claerbaut totaled eight blocks by the end of the half, tying the record for most by a Chippewa player in a single game.
"There is not enough time to explain it. When you're with someone for five years and they [Claerbaut] make the transition with you, there's something about that," Bronkema said. "He is playing his best basketball. I am proud of him."
The team in maroon and gold came out of halftime with the same intensity as the first half as the offense found points at the free throw line in its first two possessions.
"Everyone can speak for themselves but if you treat this one different from the other ones, its implying that the other ones weren't as important," Bronkema said. "Every game is equally important... what you do when you lose to a team is you try to make adjustments and be better. So I thought that is what I was focused on."
Adley took over the game in the second half as the Bronco defense seemed to have no answer for him as a scorer, allowing him to reach the charity stripe for 14 total shots.
The squad from Mount Pleasant went on a 15-5 run early in the second half to take a 13 point lead with just over 13 minutes remaining.
From then on, the game was never in doubt as CMU's defense proved to be too much for Western Michigan. WMU was held to 3-14 from three on the night with two coming in the final minute of the game.
Adley led the Chippewas in scoring, finishing with 25 points, six rebounds and four steals.
Claerbaut finished with a double-double with 12 points while simultaneously shattering the record for most blocks in a game for a Chippewa with 11.
"11 blocks is a lot," Bronkema said. "He has probably altered three or four more, the credit goes to him for making the plays, but also to Coach Miller on the defensive side of the ball."
The win allows CMU to stay in the hunt for the final spot in the MAC Conference Tournament as the regular season enters the final stretch.
Central Michigan men's basketball resumes on Tuesday, Feb 24 as the squad travels to Ohio to take on Kent State at 7 p.m.
