COLUMN: Despite efforts, goals fall out of reach for CMU seniors
CLEVELAND — Keno Davis pointed out early in his Central Michigan men's basketball coaching tenure that 2015-16 could be the season where it all came together.
The team sprouted a year sooner, winning the Mid-American Conference regular season title in 2014-15 and advancing to the championship game. Expectations for this season were at an all-time high.
Even through the struggles this season, the hope was not lost. The Chippewas still claimed a share of the MAC West and earned a first-round bye in the tournament. They maintained — game after game — that all of their goals were still in front of them.
And they were.
When the 12th-seeded Bowling Green Falcons advanced past No. 5 Kent State on Monday, it seemed to open up a pathway to the semifinals for CMU. And despite poor shooting across the board, the team still almost made it.
But things fell apart.
A freshman lit up the scoreboard in front of his friends and family from the Cleveland area. Seniors Chris Fowler and John Simons would finish their MAC careers with an intercepted half-court pass, as Fowler tried to find his senior counterpart in an attempt to tie the game as time expired.
The Falcon faithful exploded. The Chippewas were left hanging their heads — with time expiring on their dream.
The college basketball madness in March gives teams like CMU hope that everything will be OK — regardless of any regular season mishaps or underachievements. Teams like bottom-seeded Bowling Green receive the same hope.
While Davis answered questions after the game like normal, Fowler's three muted words summed up the feelings of the team, the fans in the stands and maroon and gold onlookers from social media.
"We feel terrible."
Fowler and Simons sat at the press table in disappointment, but they left everything on the floor.
Simons covered for the sophomore big men as they sat on the bench with foul trouble. He had a career-high 16 rebounds while Fowler was the usual floor general, leading CMU with 16 points and six assists.
Of CMU's 59 points, 36 were scored by the seniors. The only consolation that remains is the hope that they can walk on the court at least once more, via an invite to a postseason tournament.
However, Thursday marks the end of an era for CMU. March is when the rags-to-riches plot line becomes a commonality in college basketball.
But for the Chippewas, the Cinderella story goes unfinished.
