Tag Archives: University Arena

Rivalry Week Ends with CMU Victory Over WMU

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The Greeks & Persians, Frazier & Ali, Red Sox & Yankees… While Central Michigan vs. Western Michigan may not seem like a worthy addition to this list, to those who have ties to either school will certainly disagree.

The triad of Mid-American Conference Michigan schools (Central, Eastern and Western Michigan) have a heated rivalry that dates back a century with the resurrection of Western Michigan University. Eastern Michigan boasts being the oldest of the three schools, founded in 1849, but its cousins have made up for lost time in the century-plus of their existences and we have all benefited from the rivalry that ensued over the decades, though the in-state rivalry didn’t get started on the hardwood until 1975.

In that time, the Broncos have managed a 17-27-1 record in men’s basketball against the Chippewas.

Saturday gave us another great matchup in the rivalry as both teams looked to make moves in Mid-American Conference play.

The Chippewas have struggled mightily on the road this season, going just 1-7 in contests outside the friendly confines of McGuirk Arena in Mt. Pleasant.

On the other end of the court, the Broncos have been largely successful on their home court, going 7-2 at University Arena this season.

The Broncos would be disappointed if they hoped CMU’s homesick blues would carry over into their game on Saturday. From the onset, CMU seemed intent on establishing that this game would be a departure from their road woes and be more indicative of their overall success as of late.

The Chippewas played a physical first half, but Western Michigan was able to keep things from getting out of control for much of the first half. However, CMU proved too much and was able to take a comfortable 7-point lead into halftime, 41-34.

Western Michigan came out of halftime on a mission and a plan at making things competitive down the stretch. They did just that.

Broncos began to drop shots and get the ball into the paint, which in turn, began creating opportunities from behind the arch. WMU used the three ball to pull the game within reach several times in the final minutes, but clutch free throws by the Chippewas kept things from ever feeling in danger of slipping.

And it wasn’t as if WMU didn’t apply pressure. The Broncos rained down threes in the final minutes with startling precision, but the Chippewas unrelenting free throw proficiency sealed the game. The pair of teams each notched 44-points in the half, which carried over the 7-point first half differential and gave the Chippewas a much needed 85-78 road win.

Western Michigan Men Battle Back in Final Minutes for Victory over Kent State

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Taking the court just after the WMU women lost the lead and the game in the final minutes to in-state rival Central Michigan, the Bronco men got set for a showdown with Kent State and looked to flip the script in game two.

Flip the script they did. While the first game saw a late comeback for the away team, the second game of the doubleheader gave fans the exact opposite storyline. The comeback seemed a desperation play by the Broncos who had gone 1-4 since Christmas and needed to regain momentum as they hope to make moves before the MAC conference tournament to be held in Indianapolis in just over a month.

The Broncos battled for the first 20 minutes and even included a rare four point play by junior guard Rafael Cruz Jr. that dropped through the bottom of the net as he was dropped just outside the corner baseline as cameras flashed around the product of Chicago, IL. Though the Broncos took a narrow 30-25 lead into the half over the Golden Flashes, Kent State came out of the locker room with renewed pep in their step and the Broncos began to look outmatched in the second half with the game slipping through their fingers. Things began to look increasingly grim as time waned and momentum had shifted completely in favor of the away team.

However, that is when the Broncos kicked things into gear on the back of several big plays with juniors Cruz Jr., Brandon Johnson and Michael Flowers lighting things up from the floor. The scoring spree was not enough on its own, but Western coupled the offensive hot streak with increased energy and momentum on the defensive end to begin shutting down Kent State’s scoring altogether with their last field goal dropping through with 4:37 to go in the game. In total, Kent State held the lead or tie for over 30 of the 40 minutes, but the final seconds were all WMU needed. Johnson would eventually seal the game with big free throws that ensured the comeback was complete, giving the Broncos a much needed 67-63 victory at home.

Western Michigan now enters a crucial phase of their conference schedule that pits them against juggernaut Buffalo University on the road before other middling conference squads Northern Illinois, Central Michigan and Miami Ohio.

Central Michigan Downs Western Michigan with Huge 4th QTR Comeback

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Central Michigan came into University Arena in Kalamazoo, MI riding high after an incredible dominating performance against MAC perennial power, Ball State. The hardwood at Read Fieldhouse has been very friendly to the Broncos as they’ve managed a 5-1 record at home this season and struggled on the road.

Less than a week after CMU’s statement win over the Cardinals, the Chippewas made the trip south and knew they were in for another test against the rival Broncos. Both teams have had great runs so far in the 2019-2020 season and Saturday was a test of which team would grab control of their own destiny going into the back half of the conference schedule.

If the Chippewas thought they were in for another cruise to victory, the Broncos had other plans. Western led most of the way and seemed to be in firm control of things until a late run by the Chippewas eventually overtook the Broncos and put them on the wrong side of the scoreboard for the first time all afternoon.

The Chippewas maintained command of the lead until the final horn in a final minute blitz that stunned fans cheering on the home team.

One thing was made clear on Saturday. The Chippewa’s championship pedigree can manifest in their ability to close out blow out victories without letting off the gas and remain composed in the face of significant opposition under pressure. Both instances provide a glimpse at what years of conference success can do for a team that refuses to become complacent. The feat is even more impressive as the Chippewas are managing their continued success without missing a beat under first year coach, Heather Osterle. The Chippewas will look to continue rolling against in-state rival Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Buffalo to close out their January schedule.

Western Michigan finds themselves facing down a difficult loss that seemed in hand for most of all four quarters against the odds-on favorite to win the MAC for a third straight season. Sitting at 10-6 (3-2) the Broncos have three important games against struggling Bowling Green, Akron and Miami OH in the coming week before facing Ball State on February 1. These games will say a lot about what can be expected the rest of the way for the Broncos.