Men’s Basketball Suffers Setback to Ohio

Box Score

Athens, Ohio. — The Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team put forth a valiant effort but could not over come a slow second half start falling, 67-61, to Ohio here Wednesday night at the Convocation Center. Freshman Devon Dumes (Indianapolis, Ind.-Decatur Central) came out of a recent slump scoring a career and team game-high 19 points connecting on a career-best 5-of-11 three pointers.

EMU (7-12, 2-4 MAC) fell behind 17 points in the second half thanks en part to a scoring drought that lasted over eight minutes. The Eagles used a 10-0 run to cut Ohio’s (13-6, 4-2 MAC) laed to five, 54-49, with 6:06 to go but the Bobcats then increased its lead to 10 over the next five minutes to 67-57. Dumes hit a jumper with 1:13 remaining to pull EMU within eight, 67-59, but that would be as close as the Eagles would get as the team only notched a pair of free throws and missed its last two shots from the field to drop its third consecutive conference game.

Free throws were another problem for EMU as the team entered the game ranked third in the conference in free-throw percentage at 71.4 percent. However, the Eagles only hit 6-of-15 (40.0 percent) from the charity stripe including going 0-for-4 in the first half. In addition, EMU also shot poorly from behind the arc connecting on 9-for-30 (30.0 percent) for the game.

The Eagles were also led by Brandon Bowdry (Taylor, Mich.-Truman) who tallied 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright) added 10 points with Jesse Bunkley (Detroit, Mich.-CMA-Mott C.C.) rounding out the top Eagle scorers with nine points. The game also marked the 100^th career game for senior Craig Cashen (Cincinnati, Ohio-St. Xavier) who scored two points.

Ohio was paced by Jerome Tilliman who recorded his ninth career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Leon Williams also got his eighth double-double of the season with 18 points and 17 boards.

Cold shooing plagued EMU over the first eight minutes of the second half as the Eagles were able to only connect on one three point basket which enabled Ohio to extend its lead to 47-32 at the 12 minute mark. Dumes ended the EMU drought with a pair of free throws with the Eagles still trailing 49-34 with 10:27 left in regulation. EMU would go away and responded with a 10-5 run to once again pull within 10 at 54-44 at the seven minute mark. The Eagles kept the run going with a Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) lay-up and Dumes three ball to cut the lead to five, 54-49 forcing Ohio to take a timeout with 5:59 to go. Out of the time out, the Bobcats got a quick four points to go up 58-49. Williams then completed a three point play to increase the Bobcats’ lead to 61-49 with 3:51 left in the game. Dumes connected on another three followed by lay-ups by Medlock and Bowdry coupled with a free throw to cut Ohio’s lead to 63-57 with 1:51 on the clock. Ohio got a pair of free throws by Sonny Troutman and Tillman to go up by 10.

Ohio opened the game on a 6-0 run before Bowdry hit back-to-back lay-ups to pull EMU with in two. OU then extended its lead to 12-6 before Dumes hit consecutive trays to tie the game at 12-12 with 12:45 remaining. The Bobcats responded with an 11-0 run to take a 23-12 lead at the 6:29 mark before Medlock stopped the run with a three-pointer. The Eagles slightly outscored Ohio 9-6 to pull with in eight at 29-21 with three minutes left in the half. EMU then fell behind by 10, 36-26, before Bunkley hit a three as time expired in the half to cut the deficit to seven, 36-29, heading into the locker room. For the half, EMU shot 38.7 percent from the field (12-of-25) and was led by Bowdry, Dumes and Medlock who each had six points. Ohio shot 44.4 percent (16-of-36) and was paced by Williams who tallied 11 points.

EMU returns home for its second consecutive MAC cross-divisional tilt against Buffalo, Sunday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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