ATHENS – The nation’s leading scorer Marcus Keene scored 41 points to lead Central Michigan to a 97-87 victory against Ohio on Tuesday night at The Convo.

Keene finished 15 of 25 from the field, including 9 of 18 from 3-point range, and the Chippewas (16-8, 6-5 Mid-American Conference) got 21 points from Braylon Rayson.

Central Michigan led most of the game and used a late run to put away Ohio (14-8, 6-5 MAC). With a 78-75 lead with 7:56 to go, the Chippewas got back-to-back Keene 3-pointers. DaRohn Scott made two free throws to answer a Jaaron Simmons basket, and then Keene followed with a free throw and two more 3-pointers to make it 93-77 with 3:35 remaining. In all, it was a 14-2 run.

Simmons played all 40 minutes for the Bobcats, scoring 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting, with nine rebounds and nine assists. It was his second straight game of 30 or more points.

"Doesn't matter. Stats don’t matter," Simmons said. "We lost. That's what matters."

Jordan Dartis hit 5 of 11 3-pointers and scored 21 points, Block had 15 points and six boards, and Kenny Kaminski had 14 points. Ohio got only two points from foul-plagued freshman Jason Carter and only five points total from its bench.

Ohio led by as much as 20-14 in the first half on a Block 3-pointer, but the Chippewas followed with a 13-0 run, capped by a Rayson 3-pointer midway through the first half that made it 27-20. They extended the lead to as much as 42-28, but settled for a 54-49 halftime advantage.

Central Michigan shot 50.7 percent, making 16 of 35 3-pointers. Ohio shot 40.0 percent, also making 16 3-pointers.

"You want to force tough ones," Ohio coach Saul Phillips said. "I thought we didn't always have a hand up before they started their shot. They're such quick triggers if you're trying like a shootout at the O.K. Corral, if your guns don't get up as quick as the other guys, you better have yours drawn before he draws his. I thought there was more than one occasion when that didn't happen for us."

Ohio plays Ball State at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Worthen Arena in Muncie, Indiana.