Whitaker scores 19 as Central Michigan knocks off Northern Illinois 88-46

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — Jaxson Whitaker scored 19 points as Central Michigan beat Northern Illinois 88-46 on Saturday.

Whitaker went 6 of 9 from the field (5 for 7 from 3-point range) for the Chippewas (8-17, 4-8 Mid-American Conference). Nathan Claerbaut scored 16 points while shooting 7 of 12 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line. Keenan Garner shot 6 of 10 from the field and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points, while adding 11 rebounds and four steals.

Makhai Valentine finished with 13 points and six rebounds for the Huskies (8-16, 3-9). Gianni Cobb added 10 points for Northern Illinois. Taj Walters also had 10 points.

Central Michigan took the lead for good with 19:30 left in the first half.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up