Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
2-1
Maryland Eastern Shore
0-4
Men's Basketball Claims 76-51 Win Over UMES
11/21/2009 8:28:45 PM | Men's Basketball
Dobbins tallies a game-high 19 points in the victory
Box score.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (EMUEagles.com) – Behind a game-high 19 points from senior center Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville), the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team won its first game in the Hispanic College Fund Challenge at JQH Arena in Springfield Mo., as the Eagles cruised to a 76-51 victory over the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks.
Dobbins tallied 19 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field in 29 minutes of play to pace the EMU offense and improve the Eagles' record to 2-1 this season.
Redshirt junior forward Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) turned in his third straight double-digit scoring effort, as he finished the game with 14 point on 4-for-9 shooting from the field and 6-for-6 shooting from the free throw line.
As a team, the Eagles won the battle on the glass, out rebounding the Hawks, 42-32, while forcing UMES into 13 turnovers.
Junior guard Jay Higgins (Fayetteville, N.C.-IMG Academy-Hillsborough C.C.) came out firing from long distance in the opening minutes of the contest, sinking a trio of three pointers to lead the Eagle offense early. Higgins finished the game with 11 points on 3-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc.
With the score knotted at 20-all, sophomore guard Antonio Green (Inkster, Mich.-Robichaud) gave EMU a lead they would hold on to going into intermission, as his three-pointer with 6:07 remaining in the half made it a 23-20 game.
The Eagles went into the half with a six point lead, 34-28, as Dobbins led all scorers with 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field. Despite losing the battle on the boards in the opening frame (20-14) the Eagles won the turnover battle and shot a stellar 12-for-24 from the field, including 4-for-12 from three-point land.
The Eagles came out in the second half with a ferocity on both ends of the floor, as EMU held UMES scoreless for the first three and half minutes after intermission, all while taking its largest lead of the game after a Quintin Dailey (Las Vegas, Nev.-Bishop Gorman-Sheridan J.C.) three made it 43-30. Dailey finished the contest with nine points on 3-for-4 shooting from three-point land.
Following a UMES turnover, Green gave EMU a 14-point advantage, as his lay-up made it a 47-33 game, forcing UMES head coach Frankie Allen to use a 60-second timeout.
It was all EMU from there on out, as Bowdry gave the Eagles a 23-point advantage after his lay-up with 7:38 remaining in the game made it a 64-41 game.
The Eagles wrap up the HCF Challenge tomorrow, Nov. 22, when they take on host Missouri State University at 8 p.m. EMU then makes the trek across Missouri to take on Southeast Missouri State University Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. in Cape Girardeau.
