Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Central Michigan
EMU Men's Hoops Fall to CMU, 62-53
1/6/2008 4:34:31 PM | Men's Basketball
Poor first half dooms Eagles in MAC-opening loss
Box score.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — The Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team could not overcome a poor first-half and the Eagles dropped a 62-53 decision to Central Michigan University here Sunday afternoon in Rose Arena in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams.
The Eagles fell behind by a 32-17 count at halftime and managed to out-score the Chippewas, 36-30, in the second half, but the deficit was just too much to handle for Eastern. The Eagles cut
Central’s advantage to nine twice in the second half, but the Green and White would get no closer.
The loss drops EMU to 4-9 overall and 0-1 in league action while CMU improves to 6-7 overall and 1-0 in the MAC. Junior guard Zane Gay (Olivet, Mich.-Olivet) was the lone Eagle in double figures with 10 points while sophomore center Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) added nine points and five rebounds. Central was paced by Giordan Watson with 12 while Jordan Bitzer added 11.
Central opened the game with a dunk by Marcus Van but the Eagles quickly tied the game on a lay-up by senior forward Nenad Banjanin (Belgrade, Serbia-Lon Morris (Texas) J.C.) and added a quick basket by Dobbins to take a 4-0 lead.
After several lead changes through the next eight minutes the Chippewas took advantage of strong defensive play coupled with some deadly outside shooting to forge a 10-point lead, 24-14, with 4:33 left in the first half. Central then took the next four minutes to up its advantage to 15 points at the half, 32-17.
Central managed to build its lead to 19, 43-24, at the 15:43 mark of the second half on a basket by Jeremy Allen, but the Eagles then ran off seven straight points, on a lay-up by senior guard Travis Lewis (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Loy Norrix), followed by a layup and free throw and a three-point field goal by Gay to cut the Central advantage to 11, 43-32, with 13:03 left.
The Eagles managed to cut the lead under double digits with 8:10 left when junior guard Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright) hit the front end of a two-shot foul to make it 47-38. CMU’s Watson answered with two straight jumpers followed by a dunk by Marcus Van to boost the home team’s lead to 15, 53-38.
Eastern had one charge left, cutting it to 11, 56-45, with 3:04 on the clock on two free throws by Medlock before Central took control down the stretch to notch the nine point win.
Eastern will be idle until next Saturday, Jan. 12, when it hosts Western Michigan in a 4 p.m. game at home in the Convocation Center.
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