Box score.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the third time this season, the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team came up short against Toledo, dropping a 62-54 decision Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the 2007 First Energy MAC Tournament here at Quicken Loans Arena.
EMU (13-19) hung tough with the conference’s best team and No. 1 tournament seed but similar to the first two meetings during the regular season, EMU had trouble with Toledo’s (19-11) pressure defense which led to 21 costly turnovers and 28 UT points. Conversely, the Rockets only turned the ball over eight times which led to four EMU points. For the game, both teams didn’t shoot well from the field or from behind the arc. EMU connected on 22-of-58 shots (37.9 percent) along with a dismal 7-of-23 (30.4 percent) from three point range. Toledo went 24-for-61 (39.3 percent) while hitting a poor 6-of-23 (26.1 percent) three-pointers.
Playing in his home town of Cleveland, freshman
Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) led EMU with a career-high 16 points hitting and impressive 8-for-12 shots from the field. Dobbins also tied a career-best hauling down a game-high nine rebounds. Freshman guard
Devon Dumes (Indianapolis, Ind.-Decatur Central) was the only other Eagle in double figures with 14 points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range while hitting 3-of-4 from the free throw line. Freshman forward
Brandon Bowdry (Taylor, Mich.-Truman) added six points with a game-high nine rebounds as well.
Toledo had four players in double figures led by senior guard Justin Ingram who had 14 points on just 4-of-19 shooting while sophomore Jonathan Amos tallied 13 points connecting on 6-of-7 shots from the field. Sophomore Tyrone Kent added 11 points along with senior center Florentino Valencia who added 10 points.
EMU opened the second half scoring the first four points to take a 36-35 lead. Toledo outscored EMU 14-4 to take a 49-40 lead at the 14:38 mark and took a 10 point lead, 52-42, on a three by Kent. Each team traded baskets heading in the second media timeout with Toledo up 54-45 with 9:52 to go. Out of the timeout, Both teams had trouble scoring as the Rockets held an eight point lead, 56-48, with 6:25 remaining. Dumes added a free throw to pull EMU within seven, 56-49, but Valencia followed with a lay-up and free throw to complete a three point play. Senior
Craig Cashen (Cincinnati, Ohio-St. Xavier) cut it to seven again with a three but Kent hit a three off his own to give Toledo a 62-52 lead with two minutes to go. From there UT went on to lock up the 62-54 victory.
EMU jumped out to an early 11-4 lead at the 14:28 mark forcing Toledo to burn a time out to regroup. Toledo came out and turned up the pressure forcing three EMU turnovers enabling the Rockets to go on a 7-2 run to pull within two, 13-11 by the second media timeout with 11:57 remaining in the half. The run continued as UT outscored the EMU 14-5 to take a 25-18 lead with 7:47 left. To that point, 12 of Toledo’s 25 points came off nine EMU turnovers. Eastern regrouped and stopped the bleeding scoring the next seven points on a Dumes three and pair of free throws along with a Dobbins lay-up to cut the UT lead to three, 28-25, at the 3:55 mark. Toledo scored the next four to go up 32-25 before Dobbins hit consecutive lay-ups to bring the Eagles closer at 32-29. With 16 seconds left, Ingram hit a three from the corner but Dumes pulled from deep at the left side of the arc to hit a three as time expired to pull EMU within three, 35-32, heading into the locker room. For the half, Dobbins led the Eagles with 12 points.
