Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
13-12 (5-7MAC)
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Western Michigan
13-12 (5-7MAC)
Men's Basketball Eclipses WMU, 66-52, on Valentine's Day
2/14/2010 4:48:55 PM | Men's Basketball
The rivalry flared as the Eagles pull even with the Broncos in the MAC West
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — There was no love lost between Mid-American Conference rivals Eastern Michigan University and Western Michigan University as the Eagles men's basketball team handed the Broncos a 66-52 loss here at the Convocation Center on Valentine's Day, Sunday, Feb. 14.
EMU improved to 13-12 overall (5-7, MAC) while WMU dropped to 13-12 (5-7, MAC). The two teams are now deadlocked for third in the MAC West Division.
Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) led the Eagles with 18 points and 12 rebounds as he notched the 20th double-double of his career and his 13th of the season. Three other Eagles also scored in double figures as Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright) finished with 14, Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) totaled 17 points and eight rebounds and Jay Higgins (Fayetteville, N.C.-MG Academy-Hillsborough (Fla.) C.C.) chipped in with 12 points.
For the Broncos, senior David Kool scored 22 points, most of them after the game was already decided. Flenard Whitfield also pitched in with 12 points.
For the game, Eastern shot 41.7 percent (25-of-60), while Western shot 37.8 percent (17-of-45). The Eagles also won the rebound battle, 42-32.
Eastern's stifling defense was the story for much of the first half, as it held WMU without a field goal, 0-of-11, for the first 10 minutes of the game en route to an 11-3 advantage. EMU, however, was unable to further capitalize, going cold from the field and allowing Western the opportunity to creep back to within two points, 24-22, following a three-point play by Martelle McLemore.
Bowdry and Higgins each added a score in the final minute to push EMU's lead to 31-24 at the half. The Eagles shot 38.2 percent (13-of-34) from the field in the opening frame while the Broncos were held to 36.4 percent (8-of-22).
Bowdry led the Eagles in the first half with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Higgins added nine points and four rebounds.
The heat got turned up in the second half and the essence of the rivalry became alive as the two teams got chippy, committing 27 second-half fouls with one technical foul.
Western came out of the gate blazing, as it cut the deficit to three points. But the Eagles didn't waiver, leading the contest wire-to-wire and by as many as 16 points.
After holding the slim, 37-34, advantage with just under 11 minutes left in the contest, EMU went on a 17-4 run to extend the lead to 54-38. The streak started with Dobbins scoring seven out of the next eight points. Bowdry would add a free throw and a turnaround jumper, and Medlock drained a three-pointer and a pair of free throws to cap the run.
Eastern will now head down US-23 Wednesday, Feb. 17, for a MAC West Division road contest against the University of Toledo. Tip time is 7 p.m.
