Cougars See Three-Game Win Streak Snapped

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Published on December 26 2017 10:34 am
Last Updated on December 26 2017 10:34 am

SIUE men's basketball's three-game winning streak came to an end Friday at the hands of Central Michigan. The Chippewas defeated the Cougars 70-52 in the final nonconference game of the season for the Cougars.

SIUE dipped to 4-7 with the loss. Central Michigan improved to 10-2 overall and 6-0 at home with the win.

Both teams struggled to find a rhythm on offense. The Cougars shot just 36.1 percent (22-61), while Central Michigan connected on only 33.9 percent (21-62) of its shots.

"The guys got frustrated in our offense," SIUE Head Coach Jon Harris said. "We missed a ton of shots that we normally make. It happens sometimes on the road. That's why successful programs hang their hats on the defensive end. Defense travels."

The Cougars held a lead for nearly eight minutes to start the game. In a sign of things to come, Cecil Williams knocked down a pair of free throws to give CMU its first lead, at 13-11, with 10:37 left before halftime. A 9-0 run followed and helped the Chippewas take an 11-point lead into the half. SIUE never led the rest of the game.

"We guarded them really well in the first half," Harris said. "I don't think we guarded as well in the second half, we held them under their average, but it wasn't the same level of intensity.

Central Michigan got out to an 8-2 start to the second half and never lost its double-digit lead. For the game, the Chippewas went 21-26 (80.8 percent) from the free throw line. SIUE was just 3-5 at the charity stripe in the game.

"That's what they do," Harris said. "They beat teams on free throws. They won the free throw war. That's something we have to do a better job with in league play. We've lost that battle a lot. That has to change if we want to have some success in the OVC."

Williams led the Chippewas with 17 points, including 11 from the free throw line. Three others added double figures for Central Michgan.

Christian Ellis led the way for SIUE, scoring 14 points while also grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. He added eight assists. Justin Benton scored 10 points off the bench. Daniel Kinchen scored eight points.

Both Jalen Henry and Keenan Simmons battled foul trouble. Henry scored six points and pulled down six rebounds. Simmons scored two points, added six rebounds and three blocks.