Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Ball State
EMU Makes It Four Straight with an Overtime Victory at Ball State
3/8/2009 4:56:53 PM | Men's Basketball
Eagles come back to take overtime win in regular-season finale at Ball State
Box score.
Click Here for the MAC Tournament Bracket (PDF).
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team came back from an early deficit to win in overtime, as the Eagles held on for a 55-53 Mid-American Conference West Division win over Ball State University Sunday, March 8, in Worthen Arena.
Eastern finished the regular season with four straight wins, two on the road, and the Eagles recorded an 8-23 overall record and a 6-10 MAC mark to finish the season. The win gives EMU the No. 10 seed for the tournament and the Eagles will square off against Central Michigan Tuesday, March 10, at noon in the first round of the FirstEnergy MAC Tournament in Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Eagles were led by redshirt sophomore Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman with a double-double on 13 points with 11 rebounds. Junior center Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) added 11 points and nine rebounds while freshman guard Antonio Green (Inkster, Mich.-Dearborn Heights Robichaud) added 11.
Ball State falls to 13-16 overall and 7-9 in MAC play. The Cardinals were led by Rob Giles with 18 points and 14 rebounds while Laron Frazier added 10. The Eagles held Ball State's top two scoers, Jarrod Jones and Brandon Lampley to just seven and eight points respectively.
Eastern had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Giles hit a big three with 24.5 seconds left to tie the game at 41-all and the Eagles turned in over with 6.3 seconds remaining, and BSU's shot at the end of regulation was off the mark, forcing the overtime session.
In overtime the Eagles jumped out to quick five-points lead, 46-41, on two free throws by Bowdry and a big three from Will Cooper (Detroit, Mich.-Pershing-Bridgton Academy).
Eastern kept the advantage at four points before BSU's Frazier tallied a long three with 23.5 left to cut the lead to 54-53. Green then hit the first of two free throws to give Eastern a 55-53 win.
That score would prove to be the final as the home squad missed two shots in the final few seconds as EMU posted the overtime win.
Ball State opened the game with a flurry, running out to a 13-2 advantage until Eastern slowly closed the gap, trailing by four, 23-19, at half.
The second half proved to be a a tight one as both teams traded leads through the first 15 minutes before the final five minutes of regulation and another five minutes of overtime.
2009 FirstEnergy MAC Men's Basketball Tournament
Tuesday, March 10
No. 7 Central Michigan vs. No. 10 Eastern Michigan, Noon
No. 6 Kent State vs. No. 11 Northern Illinois, 2 p.m.*
No. 8 Western Michigan vs. No. 9 Ohio, 4 p.m.*
No. 5 Akron vs. No. 12 Toledo, 6 p.m.*
Thursday, March 12
No. 2 Ball State vs. No. 7/No. 10 Winner, Noon (FS Ohio)
No. 3 Buffalo vs. No. 6/No.11 Winner, 2:30 p.m.* (FS Ohio)
No. 1 Bowling Green vs. No. 8/No. 9 Winner, 7 p.m. (FS Ohio)
No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5/No. 12 Winner, 9:30 p.m.* (FS Ohio)
Friday, March 13
No. 2/7/10 vs. No. 3/6/11 Winner,7:30 p.m. (FS Ohio)
No. 1/8/9 vs. No. 4/5/12 Winner, 9:30 p.m.(FS Ohio)
Saturday, March 14
Championship Game (ESPN2), 8 p.m. EST
*or 30 minutes following previous game
