Posted: Jan 21, 2016
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With the loss, the Central Methodist University Eagles drop their fifth straight game and fall to 10-9 overall and 4-7 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play. With the victory, MidAmerica Nazarene; who are currently receiving votes in the latest NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, improve to 13-6 overall and 7-4 in The Heart.
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The Pioneers and Eagles played each other close in the first half. Both teams got in foul trouble early and the teams combined to shoot 33 free-throws. As a team, CMU shot 44% from the field, as MidAmerica Nazarene countered with a 40% shooting percentage from the field. At halftime, the Eagles held a slim 37-36 lead on a buzzer-beating layup.
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The Pioneers made their presence known in the second half. MNU jumped on Central early and controlled the tempo for most of the half. MidAmerica Nazarene shot 58% from the field in the second half and converted on 14 of their 18 free-throw attempts. The Eagles on the other hand, struggled from the field. CMU shot just 37% from the field, with half of their made shots coming from beyond the three-point arc. The Eagles shot 8-for-13 from deep and an impressive 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.
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In the loss, three players scored in double-figures; led by Charles Harris III's 23 points. Jay Jones chipped in with 19 points and a team high seven assists. Scott Stegeman finished with eight points and a team high 13 rebounds.
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The Eagles conclude this short homestand on Saturday against 24th ranked Peru State College. The men will tip-off at 4pm, with the Lady Eagles to precede them at 2pm inside of Puckett Field House.
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For more information about Central Methodist University athletics, visit http://www.cmueagles.com. Follow CMU athletics on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cmathletics and on Twitter twitter.com/cmueagles. �������
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