Fayette, Mo. - Central Methodist Men's Basketball used a strong second-half performance to secure an 81–65 win over Peru State College Saturday afternoon inside Puckett Field House.

The game was also part of the Hall of Fame festivities held earlier in the day. The athletic department honored the newest inductees at halftime: Morgan Vetter Grosse, Drew Greiwe, Stephanie Sullivant Kleyh, Coach Dan Schmidlin, Mark and Rebecca Harbison, and the 2018 and 2019 National Championship Men's Soccer teams. 

With the win, Central improves to 12–7 overall and 6–5 in conference play, while the Bobcats drop to 10-8 and 6-5 in conference action. 

The Eagles led by just two at halftime, 42–40, before turning up the defensive pressure and offensive efficiency after the break. CMU outscored the Bobcats 39–25 in the second half to pull away and close out the 16-point victory.

Raphael Gay led all scorers with a dominant performance in the paint, finishing with 22 points on nine-of-14 shooting while adding nine rebounds and two blocks.

Isaiah Reams provided a steady presence in the backcourt, contributing 18 points and five assists in 38 minutes. Tyson Oghene added 16 points, knocking down three three-pointers and tallying two steals.

Central also received a big boost off the bench from Isaiah Bonaparte, who scored a new career-high 15 points on five-of-10 shooting, including a perfect four-of-four at the free-throw line. He also filled the stat sheet with five rebounds, four steals, and two assists.

As a team, the Eagles shot 46.9 percent from the field and an efficient 84.2 percent from the free-throw line, converting 16 of 19 attempts. Defensively, Central forced 16 Peru State turnovers and recorded 11 steals, helping to swing momentum in the second half.

Central remains at home to host Baker University on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m. inside Puckett Field House. 

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