Nearly everyone in Worthen Arena Wednesday night wanted to see how good Chris Webber's little brother really is.
David Webber, a 6-foot-2-inch senior guard for Central Michigan came into last night's game as the second-leading scorer in the Mid-American Conference. While the Chippewas have struggled in MAC play (0-3), Webber has not, averaging 33 points in his first two games.
"He's a guy you aren't ever going to stop," admitted head coach Tim Buckley. "You really need to focus your defense on him."
Webber has been streaky at best against the Cardinals in the past. He came up with only seven points in his last trip to Muncie, but dropped 51 on Ball State in 2000 in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
"You say [he is hitting], and the next game he can't freakin' make it," Chippewa head coach Jay Smith said.
Last night, Webber was the key to Central Michigan's fast start, scoring 12 of the team's first 18 points.
With five minutes left in the first half, the spotlight was stolen from David Webber. Junior Chris Williams brought the Cardinals back from a 13-point deficit by scoring 15 of his 21 points in that period.
The two scorers traded baskets and traded words as the game became tighter.
"Sometimes you get caught up in the battle," Williams said. "But that is just between me and David."
Webber finished the first half with 19 points on 7-13 shooting.
"We needed to bump him better on screens," Buckley said. "The people guarding him were not getting any help because we weren't bumping."
Ball State's defensive intensity picked up in the second half, however, and Webber was held to three points in the first nine minutes of the half.
Webber sparked a Chippewa comeback midway through the second half, though, scoring seven-straight points and bringing the Chips within one. He was limited to one point in the final 9:22 as the Cardinals pulled out the 89-77 victory.
"Well, it was finally nice to see Webber have a decent game in this building," Smith said.
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