January Game Results:
Chicago State—87, Dixie State—71 (It didn’t take long for the Cougars to take control and then move out to a solid lead. By the end of the first half, Chicago State led 42-29. The Cougars let up defensively in the 2nd half but held a large double-digit lead the entire way. PF Vince Madsen—23 points and 8 rebounds; C Michael McMahon—20 points and 9 rebounds; SG Miguel Soto—16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.) [13-1, 1-0, tied for 1st in WAC]
Chicago State—96, Grand Canyon—94 (Road wins are tough to get, but it looked like another runaway win for Chicago State in the first half. After leading 52-40 at the break, the Antelopes turned around the tables in the 2nd half. Grand Canyon held a lead for about 5 minutes after the midpoint of the 2nd half and the Cougars had to come back to eke out a victory by hitting the final shot of the game. SF Donnell Tate and SG Miguel Soto shared high point honors with 22 points apiece and reserve PG Jevon Gage pumped in 17 points in 12 minutes of playing time.) [14-1, 2-0, in 3-way tie for 1st place tie]
Chicago State—83, Stephen F. Austin—77 (9 lead changes in the first 32 minutes of the game. The Lumberjacks held a slim 44-43 lead at the end of the half. The Cougars slipped ahead with 8 minutes to go in the game and led onto a small lead to gain the win. A 24-13 turnover advantage was the winning edge for Chicago State. C Michael McMahon scored 16, SG Miguel Soto 13, and PG Cameron Brown 10 points.) [15-1, 3-0, tied with New Mexico State for 1st place]
Chicago State—92, Lamar—75 (There were 9 lead changes In the first 7 minutes. But the Cougars then began to pull away. At the half Chicago State was on top 46-33 and the team built a 23 point at one point in the 2nd half. The Cougars hit 63% of their FG’s and dominated the boards 33-18. C Michael McMahon dropped in 18 points, C Izaak Hargrove scored 14 points and had 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, and PG Cameron Brown and PG Jevon Gage each scored 11 points. Brown and SG Miguel Soto combined to dish out 17 assists.) [16-1, 4-0, alone in 2nd place ½ game behind New Mexico State]
Chicago State—86, Sam Houston State—71 (The game was close through most of the 1st half with 9 lead changes, but the Cougars went on a late run to go ahead 42-34 at the end of the first half. It was all Chicago State in the 2nd half as they went ahead by 24 before letting the Bearkats narrow the gap a little in the late going. Four of the Cougars starters scored in double figures: PG Cameron Brown-25 points, C Michael McMahon-16 points, SF Donnell Tate-13 points, and SG Miguel Soto-10 points. Tate also had 11 rebounds to record a double-double.) [17-1, 5-0, 1st place tie with New Mexico State]
Injury: PG Cameron Brown has a bruised calf that may limit him in the Cougars next game.
Chicago State—93, Dixie State—57 (Chicago State was ahead 46-29 at the half and continued to bury the Trailblazers in the 2nd half. The Cougars’ shooting was on fire as they made 68% of their FG’s. They held a 31-20 rebounding advantage and a 22-15 turnover advantage. C Michael McMahon tossed in 18 points, PF Vince Madsen and SG Miguel Soto both scored 14, SG John Price hit for 13, and C Izaak Hargrove added 11.) [18-1, 6-0, tied for 1st place with New Mexico State0]
Chicago State—82, Grand Canyon—58 (Another blow-out win for the Cougars who jumped ahead early and never looked back. Chicago State controlled the boards 48-28. Top scorer was PG Jevon Gage with 18 points even though he played just 14 minutes. PG Cameron Brown popped in 17 points.) [19-1, 7-0, 1st place tie with New Mexico State]
Injuries: SF Donnell Tate—strained knee impacting his play in the next game; SG Miguel Soto sprained his ankle which will limit his play in the next game. SG Livan Forney’s broken hand is nearly mended and he should be ready to play in a week after missing the past 2 months.
Polls: Chicago State finally got ranked in the polls at #25. The team’s NET Ranking is 27th best in the nation.
#25 Chicago State—71, Texas-Rio Grande—66 (The score was tight throughout the first half with the Cougars gaining a scant 37-35 halftime lead. Midway through the 2nd half Chicago State went ahead by as much as 10 points but the Vaqueros tied the game with 5 minutes to go and the Cougars had to fight to pull out a road win. A 35-26 rebounding advantage was the difference in the game for the Cougars. C Izaak Hargrove scored 20 points, PF Vince Madsen had 19 points, C Michael McMahon had 12 points and 9 boards, and SG Miguel Soto scored 11 points.) [20-1, 8-0, tied with New Mexico State for 1st place]