Men's Basketball Falls to Michigan State

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team could not overcome an early cold-shooting effort, falling to the Michigan State University Spartans, 72-40, here Sunday, Nov. 27, in the Convocation Center in an Auto-Owners Spartan Invitational game.

For the Spartans it was their first-ever visit to the Convocation Center and was also the last of four games for each team as part of the invitational hosted by Michigan State. Michigan State finshed 4-0 in the invitational while EMU was 2-2. The loss leaves EMU with a 4-2 overall record while MSU improves to 4-2.

Head Coach Rob Murphy's Eagles shot just 20 percent in the first half, making 6-of-30 shots, to fall behind 25-13 at intermission. Eastern picked up the offensive pace in the second 20 minutes, making 10-of-26 field goal attempts, but it was too little too late in the setback.

The Eagles finished the game shooting 28.6 percent, making 16-of-56 field goals while MSU was connecting on 28-of-58 for 48.3 percent. The Spartans dominated the boards, 49-29.

Redshirt sophomore guard J.R. Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind.-Snider) led the Eagles with 14 points while redshirt sophomore guard Austin Harper (Grand Haven, Mich.-Grand Haven-Glen Oaks C.C.) added six. Junior forward Jamell Harris (Euclid, Ohio-Euclid) scored four points with seven rebounds and four blocked shots.

Draymond Green led the Spartans with a double-double, scoring 14 points with 13 rebounds while Adreian Payne added 12 points and eight boards and Keith Appling scored 11.

Junior forward Matt Balkema (Warren, Mich.-Cousino) hit the game's first basket on a layup, but the Spartans jumped to a 10-2 lead with 13:23 left in the half on a layup by Payne.

The visitors gained a double-digit lead, 14-4, at the 11:05 mark on a jumper by Austin Thornton and finished the first half with a 25-13 advantage.

After that tough first half the Eagles managed to put some offense on the board early in the second half, scoring 10 points in the first five minutes, but the closest the home squad would get in that stretch was 13,35-22, at the 15:13 mark.

The Spartans would up their advantage to 32, 59-27, with 5:58 and they would cruise the rest of the game.

The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Eagles with a nine-game road stretch on the agenda, starting with a Nov. 29 non-league game against the Syracuse University Orange in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.

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Team Stats

J.R. Sims

Austin Harper

Antonio Green

Jamell Harris

Eastern Michigan Athletics