Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
16-13 (8-7MAC)
Northern Illinois
9-19 (5-10MAC)
Men's Basketball Downs Northern Illinois, 66-60
2/27/2010 4:58:02 PM | Men's Basketball
Eagles move into a three-way tie atop the MAC West Division
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University's men's basketball team stayed on track for a potential Mid-American Conference West Division title as it notched a 66-60 come-from-behind victory over the Northern Illinois Huskies here at the Convocation Center, Saturday, Feb. 27, on the day of the 34th Annual E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame Game.
After trailing for much of the second half, once by as many as nine points, the Eagles used a fierce run down the stretch to regain the lead it held for much of the first half to seal the victory for Eastern.
The win improved EMU to 16-13 (8-7, Mid-American Conference) and moved Eagles in a three-way tie with Ball State University and Central Michigan University for the top spot in the MAC West. The Cardinals, who entered the day with the division lead, fell at Toledo while Central knocked off Western Michigan. Northern Illinois drops to 9-19 (5-10, MAC).
Justin Dobbins (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) led the Eagles with his third double-double of the season, a 17-point and 11-rebound performance, despite fouling out with 1:55 left in the contest. Carlos Medlock (Detroit, Mich.-Murray Wright) also posted an unconventional double-double for a point guard, scoring 25 points to go along with his 11 rebounds and six assists. Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) narrowly missed his 15th double-dip of the season as he ended with nine points and nine rebounds before fouling out.
The Huskies were led by Xavier Silas, a transfer from the University of Colorado, who poured in 19 points on 6-of-23 from the field, while grabbing eight rebounds. Darion Anderson had a double-double for NIU as he totaled 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The contest was knotted at 34 apiece with just under 12 minutes remaining, when NIU's Silas hit back-to-back three-point baskets following a layup by Anderson which put the Huskies on top, 41-34.
The Eagles responded with an 8-2 run, capped off by a Dobbins layup, but another three by the visitors left the Eagles on the wrong end of a 46-42 game.
Eastern, with its hopes for a first-round MAC Tournament bye hanging in the balance, would fall back down by six before the big three of Medlock, Dobbins and Bowdry took control for the Green and White. The trio scored 19 points of a 21-5 run, and put EMU on top, 57-48, with 1:23 remaining.
During the run, Medlock knocked down his fourth three-pointer of the contest, moving him past Brian Tolbert (1992-96) for second-place on the career list for made three-point baskets. Medlock needs nine more to tie Derrick Dial (1995-98) for the most triples in EMU history.
For the game, the Eagles shot 18-of-51 from the field (35.3 percent) and 26-of-48 from the charity stripe (54.2 percent). Northern Illinois shot 22-of-72 from the field (30.6 percent) and 7-of-28 from the free throw line (36 percent).
The Eagles held firm in the first half, despite shooting an abysmal 20.7 percent from the field (6-of-29) and just nine percent from beyond the arc (1-of-11). NIU was almost equally bad in the opening frame as it went 7-of-27 from the floor (25.9 percent) and 0-of-8 from three.
EMU led by as many as six early in the first half, but the teams headed into the locker room tied, 20-20.
Eastern will wrap up the regular season with a Thursday, Mar. 4, contest against Central Michigan University. The game will be televised on FoxSports Detroit. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
