Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Kent State
Men's Basketball Drops 68-46 Decision at Kent State
1/27/2009 9:01:44 PM | Men's Basketball
Eagles lose to Golden Flashes in their first MAC East Division matchup of the season
Box score.
KENT, Ohio — The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team's first foray of the season into action against a Mid-American Conference East Division foe proved to be a disappointing one as the Eagles fell, 68-46, to Kent State University here Tuesday night, Jan. 27, in the Memorial Athletic Center.
The Eagles started out on a strong note, rushing to a 9-4 lead in the early going, but poor shooting proved to be the difference the rest of the way as the Eagles made just 16-of-57 field-goal attempts (28.1 percent) in the game. Kent State connected on 25-of-59 attempts for 42.4 percent.
The loss drops EMU to 3-17 overall and 1-5 in MAC action while Kent State improves to 9-11 and 2-4 in league play.
Junior center Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) led the Eagles with 19 points, 12 in the first half. Dobbins also added five rebounds. Redshirt sohomore Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) added 12 points. Kent State was led by Al Fisher with 17 points while Tyree Evans scored 15 and Jordan Mincey added 13.
Dobbins was on fire early, recording six of the Eagles' first nine points to stake the visitors to an early 9-4 lead in the first five minutes of the game.
The Eagles took an 11-8 lead at the 10:56 mark, but then went scoreless over the next five minutes as the home squad build a five-point lead, 20-15, with 4:12 left in the half. Kent would hold on to its lead through the final stages of the half, taking a 27-21 advantage into the lockerroom at intermission.
Both teams suffered through poor shooting efforts the first half with the Eagles hitting just 34.5 percent (10-of-29) from the field while Kent State was not much better, making just 11-of-31 attempts for 35.5 percent. The Golden Flashes lead came via the foul line, despite a poor effort, making just 5-of-12 shots. Eastern did not attempt a free throw in the first 20 minutes.
Dobbins led all first-half scorers with 12 points and added five rebounds. Bowdry, the Eagles' leading scorer came up with just two points while playing only five minutes in the first half because of foul trouble.
Kent State opened the second half by out-scoring EMU, 19-13, to take a 46-34 lead with 10:59 remaining in the game.
Freshman guard Daniel Barnes (Chicago, Ill.-Oak Park) gave the Eagles a spark off the bench, hitting a triple and a two-point field goal to cut Kent's lead to 10, 55-45, with 8:01 left, but Mincey came right back with a big 3-point field goal to put Kent back up by, 13, 58-45, at the 7:38 mark.
Kent State would increase their lead to as much as 20 points, 65-45, with two minutes left and the Golden Flashes went on to record the 22-point win.
