Dec. 17, 2006
Contact: Brian McCann
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Giordan Watson scored 21 points, including the 14 of the 16 points during overtime as Central Michigan (4-5) rallied for a 78-76 double overtime win over Cleveland State (5-7) on Sunday afternoon in CMU's Rose Arena.
What began as a patient, half-court offensive battle turned into a free throw shooting contest in the extra sessions as the two teams combined to score 17 of the 30 overtime points from the foul line.
"The reason we lost this game is pretty simple," CSU head coach Gary Waters said. "Central Michigan made its free throws and we did not.
"If we had made our free throws, then this game would never have made it to overtime and it certainly wouldn't have gotten to a second overtime.
"You have to make your foul shots if you expect to win on the road," Waters added.
J'Nathan Bullock paced Cleveland State with 23 points with Raheem Moss added 19 points and Carlos English 14. Chris Kellerman led the Chippewas with 23 points -- 18 of which came in the second half, while Watson had 21 and Eddie Spencer 11.
When Joe Davis connected on a basket in the lane with 13:23 left in the second half, the Vikings led 41-31 and appeared to be headed to evening their record at 6-6.
Central Michigan refused to give up, making four three-pointers as part of a 15-4 run that gave the Chippewas their first lead of the afternoon, 46-45 with 8:34 left.
The remaining 18 minutes was a championship prize fight as the two teams stood toe-to-toe and gave each other their best shots. The games was tied 10 times and the lead changed hands 11 times.
Central Michigan pushed its lead to 57-50 with 5:07 left before the Vikings quickly rallied behind the inside play of Bullock, who scored five points during an 11-3 spurt that put CSU ahead, 61-60 with 1:56 remaining.
Watson gave CMU a 62-61 lead with 1:27 left and CSU went one-for-four from the line -- the make coming from Bullock with 25 seconds left to tie the game at 62-62 and force overtime. The Vikings ended regulation making just four-of-12 from the line (.333), compared to a 13-for-18 effort (.722) from Central Michigan.
After having a combined seven fouls called against the two teams in the opening half, the foul count quickly caught up and foul trouble would play a major role in the extra sessions. Kellerman, who had almost single-handedly brought the Chippewas back in the second half, fouled out with 25 seconds left on the play that ultimately forced overtime.
The Vikings built a 68-64 lead with 1:13 left in the first overtime and appeared to be in control before Watson connected on back-to-back treys, the last coming with 4.5 seconds left, to force a second overtime.
"That was a big shot," Waters said. "I thought that we had it guarded correctly, but he just threw one in."
The foul trouble caught up with CSU early in the second OT when Bullock picked up his fifth foul with 3:25 left. The offense struggled without him, failing to connect on its last five field goal attempts, all of which came from the perimeter.
Despite the foul trouble and poor shooting, CSU managed to hold onto a 76-74 lead on a pair of free throws from Moss with 1:50 left, but Tatham fouled out on the ensuing possession and Watson connected on both free throws to even the game 76-76.
Watson would give the Chippewas the lead for good on their next possession, making two more free throws with 36 second left.
The Vikings had three chances to tie or win the game in a fervent battle in the lane. Moss' three-pointer hit the front of the rim but he gathered in the rebound, passing to Joe Davis on the right side, but Davis' trey was long. Kevin Francis snuck in for the board and, with the clock about to run out, lofted a short jumper that fell just short as the horn sounded.
Cleveland State played without senior Victor Morris, who is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery late last week to repair a broken right foot suffered in the first half of last week's loss at Ohio State.
With Morris out, freshman Joe Davis earned his first career start, and Waters elected to trim the playing rotation down to just eight players, four of whom would go on to play more than 40 minutes in the contest (Moss led the way with 47 minutes).
Cleveland State shot .415 from the field (27-65), but managed just nine-for-31 shooting from three-point (.290) and was out-rebounded, 46-34. Central Michigan was blistering from the perimeter, shooting .520 from three-point (13-25), including .600 in the second half and overtime (9-15).
The game served as a homecoming of sorts for Viking head coach Gary Waters, who earned a master's degree in educational administration from CMU in 1976.
The Vikings return to action for the final time before the holiday break when CSU hosts Chicago State on Tuesday (Dec. 19) beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Wolstein Center.
