MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – In the opening game of the 2025-26 campaign, App State Men's Basketball dropped an 82-66 road contest against the Central Michigan Chippewas on Monday. The Chippewas scored the game's first four points and never looked back, as they led by as much as 20 points and never trailed in the contest.
App State (0-1) couldn't get it going on the offensive end, shooting just 35 percent from the floor and 48 percent from the free-throw line. The Mountaineers did see 10 of their 27 3-pointers find the bottom of the net.
Kasen Jennings,
Alonzo Dodd and
Eren Banks each buried multiple threes against Central Michigan (1-0).
In Central Michigan head coach Andy Bronkema's first game as a Division I head coach, the Chippewas scored 82 points, with 40 of those coming in the paint. App State allowed 80 or more points just one time last season, coming against Wisconsin last November. Central Michigan shot it very efficiently on its home floor, making 51 percent of its shots, 47 percent of its threes and 82 percent of its free throws.
Jennings was a bright spot for the Mountaineers on Monday as he scored a career-best 21 points on 5-10 shooting. Jennings' aggressiveness in the paint helped him draw a team-best 10 fouls, which led to 10 free-throw attempts. He also added a team-high six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Jennings' 21 points marked his first career 20-point game.
How it Happened
Although neither team scored for almost a minute to open the game, Central Michigan broke the seal with a two-point basket by Keenan Garner. Garner accounted for each of CMU's first four points as he scored on a dunk at the 18:51 mark of the opening frame.
Michael Marcus Jr. opened the scoring for App State with a putback layup off a missed shot before Dodd hit on a driving layup to knot the score at four. Neither team scored for the next minute of game time, but a pair of Nick Mullen free throws put the Chippewas on top at the 16:53 mark. The Chippewas led for the rest of the game after the free throws.
Central Michigan got another basket with just over 16 minutes to play, but Jennings' first basket, a 3-pointer, hit the bottom of the net to make it a one-point game. The Chippewas responded with a basket before the media timeout and took a three-point lead into the first media stoppage.
Out of the timeout, Central Michigan went on an extended 12-0 run to take a 15-point lead by the 9:38 mark. App State missed seven shots in a row during this run. A Banks layup plus the foul ended the run, and then Dodd hit on two 3-pointers in a row to cut the Chippewa lead down to eight with seven minutes to play in the half.
Seeing their lead fall below double-digits, Central Michigan got to work and hit two threes in a row to propel it ahead by 14. A pair of Jennings free throws and a 3-pointer from Banks cut the deficit back down to nine by the final media timeout of the half, but the Chippewas answered with four straight to go up 14 with just under three minutes to go. Jennings scored the last four points of the half for App State, but it was the Chippewas who took a 12-point lead into the halftime break.
Dodd led all scorers at the break with nine points, as he helped keep App State within fighting distance by nailing a pair of threes and a free throw. Jennings scored nine of his 21 points in the opening half to stand side-by-side with Dodd, and Banks tallied six in the opening frame.
Out of the break, Central Michigan continued to play well and went up by 20 points before the first media timeout of the second half. Jennings quieted the run with a top-of-the-key three, but the Chippewas and Tamario Adley made another three to make it 54-34 by the 14:57 mark.
The trio of
Chad Moodie, Marcus Jr. and Jennings helped spark a 5-0 run to pull the Mountaineers within 15 with just under 13 minutes to go, but the Chippewas didn't let it get closer than that, scoring four straight to go back ahead 19.
Luke Wilson and Dodd each netted baskets after a stoppage, and Jennings and
Jason Clarke Jr. helped cut into the lead by the under-eight break.
Jalen Tot drilled his first three of the game at the 6:09 mark, and Moodie made a layup to cut the Chippewa lead back down to 16.
A Banks 3-pointer made it a 13-point game at the 4:42 mark, but Central Michigan held firm for the rest of the game and closed out an 82-64 win on their home floor to open the season.
Top Performers
Jennings' career-high 21 points paced the Mountaineers on Monday, as his aggressiveness on offense was felt in a big way. The Atlanta native also fell one short of his career high in rebounds with six (five came on the offensive glass) and recorded a game-best three steals. Dodd joined Jennings in double-figures, tallying 11 points on 4-8 shooting. Along with his 11 points, he also pulled down four rebounds and dished out two assists. Coming off the bench, Wilson tallied a good game in his minutes, tying his career high in points with nine and pulling in five rebounds. Wilson missed just two shots and showed off his athleticism on both sides of the ball, as he recorded one of App State's three blocks.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will now turn their attention to their home-opener, as they welcome the Carolina University Bruins to the Holmes Center on Wednesday. App State boasts a 25-4 record on its home floor over the last two seasons. Tip off from Boone is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
