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The nation’s leading scorer didn’t disappoint, as Marcus Keene piled up 36 points, as Central Michigan defeated the Tribe of William and Mary, 91-81, Tuesday night in McGuirk Arena. The Chippewas move to 6-2 and the Tribe fall to 3-3 on the season.
Along with Keene’s 36 points and five assists, Braylon Rayson scored 23 points, while grabbing six rebounds and also dishing out five assists. Josh Kozinski was able to find his range, as he knocked down five three-pointers for 15 points and David DiLeo added 10 points off the bench. Cecil Williams was able to grab 13 rebounds on the night for the Chippewas as well.
Omar Prewitt led the Tribe with 26 points and 13 rebounds on the night. Greg Malinowski contributed 14 points and six rebounds and Jack Whitman scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
With the score tied at 49 with 17:02 remaining in the game, it looked to be a close game, but after a Marcus Keene layup made it 51-49 CMU, the Tribe struggled to make a shot for about four minutes. This allowed the Chippewas to build up a 60-49 lead and they never looked back, as the Chippewas led by as many as 19.
Central Michigan, otherwise know as 3MU, hit a season high 16 three pointers on the night out of an attempted 38. William and Mary converted on 10 of 28 from beyond the arc to try and keep up with the Chippewas. The Tribe was able to out rebound the Chippewas, 42-35, but the Chippewa defense forced 11 Tribe turnovers and converted them into points. The Chippewa defense stepped up in the second half to help the team seal the victory, as both teams looked strong offensively in the first half.
Central Michigan will look to build off this victory as they host the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions. Tip-off is set for for 4:30 on Saturday, December 3rd and will be televised on ESPN3.