The game was close for roughly two minutes.
Then the host Central Michigan Chippewas ran away with it, defeating the Montana State Bobcats 75-48 to improve to 7-1 on the season and run their winning streak to six and counting.
It was the lowest point total allowed by the Chippewas (7-1) since opening night against Siena Heights, a 108-48 victory, and one that drew the praise of head coach Keno Davis.
“Our entire team has bought into being a better defensive team,” he said. “When you lose two explosive guys like Keene and Rayson, we knew we wouldn’t be able to have a successful season unless we became remarkably better defensively.