CMU men's basketball bites back against Buffalo
Central Michigan University senior guard/forward Jakobi Heady scores the team two points and a dunk in McGuirk Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (CM Life | Jasmine Brookins)
With just over a minute remaining and CMU men’s basketball holding a 68-64 lead against Buffalo, a 3-pointer put the Bulls in reach. As the clock wound down, Buffalo looked to get off another shot, but a foul sent the Chippewas to the line and putting them up 69-67.
A jumper from guard Kyler VanderJagt sealed the game for CMU. Despite a last shot from the Bulls, the Chippewas held onto their lead as the final buzzer rang out. This marks the team’s second straight win.
CMU is now 12-15 overall and 5-9 in Mid-American Conference play with just three games remaining in the regular season.
Buffalo controlled much of the first half, shooting 48.3% from the field in the opening 20 minutes, with guard Bryson Wilson leading the charge. A 3-pointer by Wilson with just under a minute left in the first half helped Buffalo take a 38-34 advantage into the break.
“That team was playing harder, they were playing tougher, they were playing more physical,” head coach Tony Barbee said. “Not that it's excusable…just because they are behind you in the standings and near the bottom of the standings, that team has been fighting…they haven’t let go.”
CMU responded quickly in the second half on an 8-2 run, fueled by back-to-back layups from guard Jakobi Heady and a 3-pointer from guard Anthony Pritchard that gave the Chippewas their first lead since the opening minutes. Buffalo kept the game close, reclaiming the lead multiple times, but CMU began to take the upper hand.
That was when the Bulls drilled a deep 3-pointer to put them in reach of the game. However, the Bulls couldn’t hold on as CMU charged passed them, winning 73-69.
Heady and Pritchard paced CMU’s offense, each scoring 18 points. Heady added 11 rebounds for a double-double, while Pritchard dished out six assists.
“Coach Barbee challenges me every game,” Heady said. “I never looked at myself as a rebounder and this is my third double-double of the year. That’s impressive.”
Forward Ugnius Jarusevicius had 14 points and six rebounds while VanderJagt provided a key spark off the bench with 12 points, including a crucial mid-range jumper in the closing minutes.
The Chippewas capitalized on Buffalo’s mistakes, scoring 21 points off turnovers while also winning the rebounding battle 38-35. CMU stayed dominant in the paint, as it outscored the Bulls 38-34.
With the conference tournament approaching, CMU looks to find an opening in the conference standings. The Chippewas still currently sit on the MAC standings. Only the top eight will travel to Cleveland for the tournament.
“I mean you’ve seen what we’ve done all year long,” Barbee said. “We’ve been a really good road team…the baskets are the same height; the court is the same dimensions. What does it matter where you play? You could play in the middle of 127, you can play Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, you can play in McGuirk, you can play on the road at Eastern where we’re going. Doesn’t matter where you play, it’s basketball.”
The Chippewas will head to Ypsilanti to take on in-state rivals, Eastern Michigan at 6 p.m. on Friday.
“We work hard every single day, individually and as a team,” Heady said. “No matter what, if we stay calm we should be fine, we know our worth.”
