Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Georgia
Eagles Lose One-Point Heartbreaker to Defending SEC Champion Georgia
11/18/2008 7:33:33 PM | Men's Basketball
Justin Dobbins scores 22 points in NIT Season Tip-Off Consolation Game
Box score.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team came up one point short against defending Southeastern Conference champion the University of Georgia, 61-60, here Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 18, in Mackey Arena in the consolation game of the North Regional in Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off.
The Eagles built an 11-point lead, 53-42, with 8:56 left in the game, but a relentless Georgia offense would whittle away at the scoreboard, taking a 56-55 lead with 3:56 remaining in the game. Sophomore forward Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) would score with 1:13 remaining to give the Eagles a slim one-point margin, 59-58.
Trailing by one point, 61-60, junior Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) would grab a rebound off a missed free throw with 5.2 seconds left and pass the ball off to freshman Antonio Green (Inkster, Mich.-Dearborn Heights Robichaud), who was unable to get off a shot before time expired.
Dobbins recorded his fifth straight double-figure game, leading all EMU scorers with 22 points. Bowdry put up 14 points while grabbing eight rebounds, and Zane Gay added 13 and six, respectively. Redshirt freshman L.J. Frazier (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Ypsilanti) dished out a game-high nine assists, while putting up six points and four rebounds.
For the Bulldogs, Corey Butler led three UG players in double-figures, scoring 12. Terrence Woodbury and Dustin Ware added 11 apiece.
The Eagles out-shot the Dogs, going 48.9 percent (22-of-45) from the field and 64.7 (11-of-17) from the charity stripe, compared to 35.9 percent (23-of-64) and 50 percent (6-of-12), respectively.
For the second night in a row the Eagles would jump out to an early lead, rolling to an 8-0 start Monday, Nov. 17, against Purdue and an 8-2 advantage against the Bulldogs.
Georgia came back from that rocky start, however, and went into the locker room at halftime with a two-point lead, 32-30.
Eastern came out strong in the early stages of the second half also, slowly building its lead to eight and then 11 before Georgia fought back to make it a one-possession game over the game's final few minutes.
