Men’s Basketball Comes up Short Against Western Michigan

Box score.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Despite a career-high 16 points from sophomore guard Zane Gay (Olivet, Mich.-Olivet) and 12 points from freshman center Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville), the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team fell short, 84-80, against instate rival Western Michigan University Saturday afternoon here at University Arena.

Gay’s 16 points came on a career-high 6-of-8 field goals while going 3-of-4 from behind the arc. Dobbins tied his career high 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor with a team-high eight rebounds. EMU (7-11, 2-3 MAC) was led by sophomore point guard Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright) who notched 21 points on 5-of-12 shooting while hitting a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line.

Free throws down the stretch proved to be the difference as Western Michigan' (8-10, 3-2 MAC) hit its last six consecutive trips to the charity stripe with under a minute remaining in the contest while also connecting on 25-of-34 for the game compared to 14-of-17 for Eastern Michigan. Both teams shot well from the floor but Western held an advantage hitting 52.1 percent from the field connecting on 25-of-48 shots while Eastern hit 28-of-62 shots at a 45.2 percent clip. The Broncos hit a blistering 9-of-16 (64.3 percent) from three point range while the Eagles only connected on 10-of-27 (37.0 percent) from behind the arc.

With a 1:45 left in regulation, Jesse Bunkley (Detroit, Mich.-CMA-Mott C.C.) hit a three-pointer to cut WMU’s lead to 73-72. The Broncos answered with a jumper by Shawntes Gray but Dobbins kept EMU in it making a layup with 50 seconds left to pull the Eagles within one, 75-74. David Kool then hit a three-point hoop with 30 seconds left to put Western up 78-74 but Medlock streaked down the court, connected on a layup and was fouled on the play with 23 seconds left on the clock. Medlock hit the free throw to put the Eagles down one, 78-77 but Travis Lewis (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Loy Norrix) was called for a foul during the inbounds throw which again put Kool on the line who hit both free throws. On EMU’s next possession, Bunkley missed the game-tying three pointer from the corner with 21 seconds to go. Kool grabbed the rebound, was fouled and hit both free throws to put Western up 82-77 with 10 seconds remaining. However, EMU would not go away as Medlock hit a three to cut the lead to 82-80 with three ticks left on the clock but Kool once again made both free throws on the other end in to ice the game for the 84-80 Bronco victory.

Kool paced Western Michigan with a game-high 26 while hitting 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. Junior center Joe Reitz added 18 points while sophomore guard Michael Redell chipped in 16 points.

Dobbins opened scoring for EMU but the team gave up two easy hoops on transition defensively allowing WMU to maintain its lead, 38-35. Eastern regrouped going on a 12-2 run to take a 47-40 lead. Western responded with an 8-0 run to re-take the lead, 48-47, before Jarred Axon (Jackson, Mich.-Jackson-Schoolcraft C.C.) hit a three to put EMU back on top, 50-48, with 11:32 remaining. WMU tied the score, 54-54, on a Redell layup but Medlock hit a pair of free throws and Craig Cashen (Cincinnati, Ohio-St. Xavier) followed with a layup to give the Eagles a 58-56 lead at the 7:32 mark. Western came back with back-to-back three point hoops to retake the lead, 62-60. Both teams exchanged multiple trips to the free throw line with WMU holding a 68-66 lead but Bunkley hit a three-pointer to put EMU up, 69-68, with 2:30 remaining in the game. The Broncos came right back with a pair of free throws and a three to take a 72-69 lead with two minutes left.

Behind five points from Dobbins, Eastern jumped out to a quick 7-4 lead. The game remained tight over the next four minutes with Western holding a slim 13-12 lead at the 12 minute mark. Back-to-back three-pointers by Gay and a Dobbins layup put Eastern up 20-16 with eight minutes to go in the half. Bunkley hit his first three of the game to extend the Eagle’s lead, 25-19 but WMU responded with the next five points to pull within one point, 25-24. Cashen rolled down the land and delivered a dunk to put EMU up three, 27-24 with 3:47 remaining in the half. Both teams traded baskets back and forth with Gay connecting on a lay up to put EMU up 33-31 with 37 seconds remaining but Kool hit a three-pointer with 23 seconds to give WMU a 34-33 lead at the half. For the half, Gay led the Eagles with 10 points while Redell and Kool paced the Broncos with 10 points each.

EMU hits the road for a MAC cross-divisional tilt against Ohio Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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