Chippewas rally to beat Warhawks late in season opener

Junior guard Durral “Phat Phat” Brooks had the ball with less than a minute left in the game, with Central Michigan men’s basketball up by one against the University of Louisiana-Monroe.

The Chippewas, once down 14 points, looked to complete the comeback and cap the game off. 

With the shot clock winding down, Brooks drove and bounced the ball to senior center Conrad Luczynski, who slammed it through the rim. 

CMU carried that lead to an 83-78 win in its season opener, starting the season 1-0. 

In the statistics, the Chippewas were not so different from the Warhawks, with no noticeable margin between rebounding, assists or turnovers. CMU head coach Andy Bronkema said that the game came down to the plays in the final moments. 

“In a game like that, some guys stepped up and made some huge plays, knocking down some big shots, getting some key rebounds down the stretch,” Bronkema said. “Ended up getting them on the glass by two here, which was big.” 

CMU ended up playing 11 players, with 10 playing at least one quarter of the game. Comparatively, the Warhawks had just seven players play for at least 10 minutes. Part of the initial deficit stemmed from the number of rotations

“We just got in a little foul trouble,” Bronkema said. “We had some guys playing in some positions that they haven’t had as many reps in.” 

Although impactful, Brooks also had limited playing time at the start after getting two personal fouls in the first half.  

Even then, he led the team in points, along with Luczynski, scoring 14 points and also getting a game-high six assists in just 24 minutes. 

The Chippewa frontcourt also had a major hand in the result.  

Junior forward Keenan Garner got his first double-double of the season with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Garner also played the most minutes of any Chippewa with 29.  

Luczynski, along with his post scoring, also affected the paint on the other end of the court in his debut, getting a game-high three blocks.  

Alongside Brooks’ hot hand, the rest of the CMU guards had impactful minutes. 

Junior guard Jaxson Whittaker and sophomore guard Jalen Kampen, both also made three three-pointers, contributing to the team’s efficient 41.4% perimeter shooting percentage. 

Whittaker, in addition to his outside shot that got him 11 points, also led the team in steals. 

Several players also made their debut in the maroon and gold, with senior transfer from Missouri-Kansas City Jayce Petty scoring double digits with some help from the whistle, going six for six from the free-throw line. 

Fifth-year center Kareem Aburashed played his first minutes for the Chippewas after transferring in the summer of 2025. Although he only played for four minutes, he made the most of it, getting two blocks and making one three-pointer. 

Sophomore Uchenna Amene was the main replacement in much of Brooks’ first-half absence, and although Amene went scoreless in fifteen minutes, Bronkema said that he just needs more time. 

“Just give him some time to get his feet wet at this level,” he said. “He’s a real player. He can really play. He’s got to get comfortable.” 

Senior guard Jayden Hackett, freshman forward Jake Bascom and senior center Brock Mendoza also played in their first game with CMU. 

The Chippewas head back to Mount Pleasant to play their home opener against Alma College on Friday, Nov. 6