CMU men's basketball comes up short against Valparaiso
Central Michigan senior guard Anthony Pritchard waits just before the game starts against Stony Brook on Thursday, Nov. 7 at McGuirk Arena. (CM-Life | Mary Nowosacki)
With four minutes remaining in the second half, Central Michigan men's basketball found itself trailing Valparaiso by nine.
That was until CMU forward Ugnius Jarusevicius found a wide open lane to the basket for a layup to breathe some life back into the Chippewas.
However, it was not enough to slow the momentum for the Beacons, and Valparaiso handed Central Michigan a 93-77 loss.
The loss puts CMU at 5-4 on the season.
The game started close with both offenses routinely failing to find consistent looks while struggling with turnovers.
Back-to-back Damarion Bonds threes kept the Chippewas competitive in the first half as Valparaiso slowly started to find its offensive rhythm, gifting CMU a 27-25 lead with four minutes remaining before halftime.
The Central Michigan offense began to find points at the free throw line down the stretch, but a Tyler Schmidt three followed by two free throws gave the Beacons a 36-31 lead going into halftime.
Coming out of halftime, CMU's offense got to work with guard Jakobi Heady scoring the first five points of the half for the Chippewas, tying the game at 38 each.
Both squads traded points, with neither leading by more than six until Valparaiso guard All Wright drilled a bucket to give the Beacons a 7 point lead with 5 minutes to play.
As the Central Michigan offense began to heat up, the defense began falling apart, allowing Valparaiso to make nine of their final ten baskets, destroying any chance of a comeback win for the Chippewas.
Guard Anthony Pritchard led the way for the squad from Mount Pleasant with 20 points, six rebounds and three assists. Jarusevicius followed closely behind with 18 points and six rebounds.
The Central Michigan defense struggled defending the perimeter down the stretch, allowing the Beacons to make good on 62.5% of shots beyond the arc in the second half.
The Chippewas struggled with turnovers, giving the ball up 16 times throughout the night, with many turning into points for Valparaiso.
CMU men's basketball has an opportunity to bounce back on Tuesday, Dec. 17 where it will travel to take on 25th ranked Mississippi State on the road.
