Central Michigan Chippewas vs. Central Pennsylvania Knights Final: CMU finishes off non-con slate in convincing fashion

The last time CMU basketball started 9-1 in a season, it was 1974, the same year that CMU football won their only national title. The last time Central Michigan University started 8-0 at home, a certain NBA center named Chris Kaman was rocking the Rose Arena. The Central Michigan Chippewas (10-1, 0-0 MAC)  bested both of those records as they beat the Central Pennsylvania Knights (8-5, 0-0 USCAA) by a final score of 125-80.

If you liked offense, this was the game for you. The Chippewas reached triple digits for the second time this season, coming within a single field goal of the school-record 127 points, set back in 1987 vs. Oakland University. Central Penn played a very similar offensive game to the Chippewas, but with their tallest player being only 6'4", the Knights had a hard time setting up inside against the size of the Chippewa frontcourt, especially with CMU having a 6-0 block advantage. With that being said, the Knights still scored 80 points on the Chippewas.

Andre Batte of Central Penn lead all scorers in the game with 23 points, while Rayshawn Simmons scored a team-high 20 points for the Chippewas, assisting 12 shots along the way. Seven Chips, including Simmons, scored in the double digits, with Braylon Rayson, Chris Fowler, and Austin Stewart all scoring fourteen points, Josh Kozinski and Austin Keel scoring twelve points, and John Simons contributing ten.

Other notable Central Penn performances included Devon Dorsey with 19 points, Dominique Twiggs with 15 points and 8 rebounds, and Rahmon Scott with 10 points.

The Central Pennsylvania Knights weren't scared of the Chippewas in the first half. They have faced four previous Division I schools and knew how to keep the game close, slicing through Central in transition for inside shots. This was aided by a slow start for Central Michigan from the shooting end, which allowed Central Penn to bridge a double digit lead to just six with under eight minutes left in the first half. However, Central ultimately took the size advantage and ran the knights off the court, taking a 68-43 lead into the half, eventually going on a run that took the score to triple digits before CPU could reach 70.

Central Michigan opens conference play at Toledo on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST, while Central Penn takes on Columbia University, their fifth and final Division I opponent on Saturday the 10th.