CMU men's basketball triumph over Texas State
Central Michigan senior guard Anthony Prichard looks for teammates at McGuirk Arena, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (CM-Life | Mary Nowosacki)
With 4:16 remaining in the game and leading by seven, Central Michigan men's basketball had the ball with an opportunity to end Texas State's hopes of a come-from-behind victory following a Bobcats timeout.
The ball was inbounded and passed to guard Kyler VanderJagt, who drilled a three, giving CMU a 10-point lead that snowballed into an 85-70 victory for the Chippewas.
Central Michigan advances to 11-12 on the season, finishing 2-0 against Sun Belt Conference opponents.
"If we were more efficient on the offensive end of the floor in the first half, the score would have been an even bigger margin," head coach Tony Barbee said.
The game started with a 7-0 run in favor of the Chippewas, setting the tone early as Texas State was denied offensively at every turn for the first four minutes of the game.
The Bobcats quickly found their footing, cutting the deficit to two, making the score 11-9 with CMU having the slight nod.
The squad from Mount Pleasant responded with a four-minute 6-0 run, restoring its momentum, leading 17-9 with nine minutes remaining in the first half.
Both teams traded points for the rest of the half, giving Central Michigan the 33-26 lead heading into the locker room.
"Defensively, I thought we guarded way better in the first half than we did in the second," Barbee said.
Coming out of halftime, the Bobcats looked rejuvenated on offense, taking a 44-40 lead with 15 minutes left to play as CMU struggled to get consistent looks at the basket.
That was until four straight from Central Michigan guard Anthony Pritchard helped reignite the Chippewa offense, allowing his squad to take a 54-49 lead with 10 minutes left to play in the game.
"Even when other teams go on runs, I understand that the other guys on the floor are looking at me," Pritchard said. " I continue to keep my head high, keeping them all in tune with the game."
The Chippewas continued to improve offensively as the game went on but struggled on defense, holding a 67-60 lead with 4:48 remaining in the game.
That is when VanderJagt let it fly from beyond the arc, drilling a three in what became a dominant offensive stretch for CMU as it outscored Texas State 18-10 in the final four minutes. The run allowed Central Michigan to walk out of McGuirk Arena with an 85-70 victory.
"In the second half of all of these games when the defense gets away from the front of the bench where the coaches are the ultimate communicator, your defense is not going to be quite as good," Barbee said "The players have to be really over-talking and communicating and were not doing it."
Leading the offense for CMU was Jakobi Heady, who finished with 20 points, four rebounds and two steals while shooting 8-12 from the field.
Ugnius Jarusevicius recorded a double-double, finishing the game with 19 points, 14 rebounds and two steals.
"Ugi (Jarusevicius) has 19 and 14 tonight, and I am not happy. I am not happy with that line," Barbee said. "Those numbers should have been doubled, and if you do not want expectations on your back, you should not come play for me."
Pritchard recorded his first double-double as a Chippewa, finishing with 17 points and 11 assists.
"The assists come from trusting my teammates, so continuing to trust my teammates to knock down shots when I pass the ball to them," Pritchard said.
CMU men's basketball will resume Mid-American Conference play at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11, as it heads on the road to take on Kent State.
