BOX SCORE
NOTES
QUOTES
MT. PLEASANT, Mich. -- David Kool scored 31 points to move into 10th in Mid-American Conference history with 2,021 career points, but Central Michigan battled back from a halftime deficit to win, 74-66, at Rose Center on Saturday.
Kool made 8-of-19 field goals and 14-of-14 free throws, in addition to five assists and four rebounds for the Broncos (15-14, 7-8 MAC) against the Chippewas (14-14, 8-7 MAC). With his 14 free throws, Kool ties Joe Reitz for the school record in free throws made in a career with 576.
Flenard Whitfield added eight points, four rebounds and one block, while Mike Douglas had eight points and three assists.
Kool scored on an old-fashioned three-point play and Whitfield
converted an up-and-under move to put the Broncos back in front, 58-55,
with 7:50 to go. Central Michigan responded with an 8-0 run over 2:11
to take its largest lead of the game, 63-58, on a tip-in with 4:13 to
play. Kool hit two more free throws to get the game back within one
possession, 63-60,with 3:53 to play, but the Chippewas three in a row to go up six and WMU never closed within less than four again.
The Chippewas shot 51.7 percent in the second half, including 5-of-8 three-pointers. The Broncos made 10-of-23 shots in the second half.
The Broncos opened the game on a 9-4 run capped by Mike Douglas'
triple from the left wing with 16:25 to play. The Broncos were able to
keep the lead at five for the next four minutes and kept that lead,
15-10, after two Kool free throws with 12:50 to play. The Chippewas
scored five of the next seven to tie the game, 17-17, and then took
their first lead, 20-19, since 2-0 on a three-pointer with 8:37 to play.
Kool
came right back on the next possession and maneuvered around a ball
screen to hit his first three-pointer and put WMU back in front, 22-20,
with 7:55 to go. The Broncos stiffened their defense and Alex Wolf's five-point run put the Broncos up eight, 28-20, with 5:36 to go. After two CMU free throws, the Broncos scored four in a row to build the lead to 10, 32-22, with 3:54 to go on a turnaround floater by Kool.
The Chippewas wouldn't go away and closed the half on an 8-2 run to trail by four at halftime, 34-30.
The Broncos shot 41.7 percent in the first half and made 11-of-14 free throws, while holding CMU to 39.3 percent shooting, including 1-of-9 behind the arc. The Broncos did turn the ball over eight times, but countered with a 22-14 rebounding advantage to outscore CMU, 10-2, in second chance points.
The Broncos opened the second half with three-pointers by Martelle McLemore and Douglas to go back up by seven, 40-33, but five in row by CMU pulled them within two, 40-38, with 16:31 to go. The Broncos came back and scored on the fast break with an old-fashioned three-point play by Kool to go up five, 43-38, with 16:27 to go.
Central Michigan responded with a 9-2 run to regain the lead, 47-45, after back-to-back three-pointers with 13:17 still remaining. The Broncos were able to tie the game twice, including on Donald Lawson's one-handed jam, 49-49, with 10:38 to go. Central Michigan came right back with another three-pointer to take its largest lead, 52-49, with just over 10 minutes remaining.
Overall, the Chippewas shot 45.6 percent (26-57) and made 6-of-17 triples (.353) and 16-of-25 free throws (.640). The Broncos hit 21-of-26 free throws (.808), 5-of-16 triples (.313) and 42.6 percent overall (20-47).
The two teams tied with 33 rebounds, but CMU out-rebounded WMU, 6-1, in offensive rebounds in the second half for a 6-0 edge in second chance points. WMU led for the game, 10-8. Central Michigan forced 15 WMU turnovers, including 10 steals, that led to a 15-11 lead in points off turnovers. CMU also led, 34-24, in points in the paint.
Jordan Bitzer had 22 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while Robbie Harman added 22 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals for Central Michigan.
The Broncos close the regular season on Thursday, March 4 at University Arena against Ball State (15-12, 8-6 MAC) at 7 p.m. It will be Senior Day for Kool, Lawson and McLemore.
