Men’s Hoops Downs Bowling Green

Box score.

YPSILANTI, Mich. — Behind a season-best 26 points from junior point guard Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright), the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team moved into a tie for second place in the Mid-American Conference West Division with a 78-68 victory over cross-division rival Bowling Green State University here Wednesday evening here at the Convocation Center.

With the win the Eagles improve to 9-14 (5-6 MAC) on the year while Bowling Green falls to 11-12 (6-5 MAC).

Eastern Michigan had three players reach double figures, led by Medlock’s game-high 26 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, including a perfect 5-of-5 from downtown. Sophomore Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) chipped in 11 for the Green and White. Senior Jesse Bunkley (Detroit, Mich.-CMA (Mott C.C)) notched 10 points.

For the Falcons, Chris Knight led the way with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Also, reaching double digits for BGSU was Brian Moten and Nate Miller with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Both teams started the game slowly, scoring just six points each through the first four and a half minutes of the opening frame. The Falcons took an early 9-6 lead on a 3-pointer by Brian Moten at the 15:19 mark. EMU answered with a 10-2 run to go up 16-11, highlighted by two Medlock 3-pointers within a two-minute span.

Each team traded baskets until Eastern increased its lead to nine, 26-17, after a Tyler Jones (Belleville, Mich.-Belleville) layup with 6:12 remaining in the half, capping a 7-0 EMU run. BGSU climbed back to within four points off a Moten layup with under a minute left, but sophomore Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) answered with a layup of his own, giving the Green and White a six-point advantage heading into halftime.

EMU held the lead at the half despite shooting just 37.5 percent (9-of-24) from the field and allowing 20 Falcon points in the paint. BGSU shot 50.0 percent (12-of-24) from the field in the first half. The Green and White took advantage of seven first-half Falcon turnovers, scoring 15 points. Leading the way for Eastern in the first half was Medlock with 10 points on 2-of-3 shooting from the field, including his two early 3-pointers.

Bowling Green cut the lead to three, 38-35, on a Otis Polk free throw nearly three minutes into the first half. Both teams traded baskets over the six minutes, with the largest lead for EMU climbing to ten after a 3-pointers by Bunkley and Medlock at the 10:35 mark.

Moten capped an 8-1 Falcon run with a 3-pointer at the 6:45 mark, bringing the Bowling Green to within two, 58-56. The Eagles’ 7-2 ensuing run, highlighted by a Dobbins dunk, put the game away. The Eagles were sent to the charity stripe 10 times in the final :55 seconds of the game, going a perfect 10-10 along the way.

The Eagles blistered the nets for 52.6 percent from (10-of-19) from beyond the three-point line and also finished the game shooting 40.9 percent (18-of-44) from the field. The Falcons managed a 49.0 percent clip (25-of-51). EMU held the rebound advantage, 35-24, and made the Falcons pay for turning the ball over, scoring 24 points off of their 13 turnovers.

The Green and White are in action next Saturday, Feb. 16, in a critical MAC West Division showdown with in-state rival Central Michigan. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center. The day is also E-Club Hall of Fame Day with six former EMU greats being enshrined during a 10:30 a.m. ceremony at the EMU Student Center.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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