Rapid Reaction: Eastern Michigan 99, Central Michigan 80
Chris Fowler drives to the basket in a game against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, at McGuirk Arena.
The Central Michigan men's basketball team's road to defend its Mid-American Conference West Division Championship got off to a rocky start.
Eastern Michigan shot 66 percent from the floor to down the Chippewas 99-80 in the MAC opener Wednesday at McGuirk Arena.
CMU now falls to 7-7 (0-1 in the MAC) after losing its first home game this season.
What happened
CMU attacked the Eagles' full-court press and zone defense early with strong perimeter shooting. With the score tied at 10, redshirt sophomore Josh Kozinski came off the bench and scored the Chippewas next 12 points, all 3-pointers, to give CMU a 22-14 lead.
Kozinski added to his total later when his fifth three of the half to give CMU a 34-27 lead. However, the Eagles went on a run to cut the deficit to 36-34 and force a timeout from CMU Head Coach Keno Davis with 3:33 left in the first half.
EMU ended the half on a 11-3 run, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from Willie Magnum IV to change a 38-38 tie into 44-38. The Eagles led by four at the half and shot 60 percent from the floor. EMU also was 8-of-12 from three and held CMU leading scorer junior guard Braylon Rayson and senior forward John Simons to zero points each.
Rayson changed his stat line quickly by hitting scoring the first points of the second half. His first 3-pointer cut the EMU lead to one and his second three tied the game at 47.
The Chippewas slashed the lead to 56-52 after another Rayson three before he headed to the bench with an injury with 14:53 left in the game. Simons and Kozinski hit three 3-pointers to cut the lead to 71-64. The Eagles pushed their lead to 80-65 with over seven minutes to play.
EMU's largest lead was by 22 with 1:28 left in the game as the Chippewas dropped its first MAC contest of the season.
What It means
A loss to the Eagles should not affect CMU's chances of its quest for a MAC Championship but only if the Chippewas play well the rest of MAC season.
The Chippewas had strong games from Kozinski (18 points) and senior guard Chris Fowler (13 points) but had rough first halves offensively from Rayson and Simons, who are both pivotal to the team's offensive success.
Davis got in the ear of the officiating crew numerous times and the Eagles' high shooting percentage played a huge role in the victory.
CMU had five players in double figures, including Rayson's 17 second half points, but will have to regroup quickly as the MAC season gets underway.
What's next
The Chippewas will continue their MAC slate with a visit to Bowling Green on Saturday. The Falcons (9-4) are led by Zack Denny and Spencer Parker who each average 13.4 points per game.
Tip off is set for 2 p.m. EST at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Stay tuned for more from Central Michigan Life on today's game
