EMU Offense Stalls in Loss at Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team saw its offense stall out in a 71-50 loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies here Thursday, Dec. 22, in a non-conference game played in Cassell Coliseum.

Head Coach Rob Murphy's Eagles, now 5-7 on the season, scored just nine points in the first half, but turned in a better effort in the second half, scoring 41 points in the second half.

Senior guard Darrell Lampley (Linden, N.J.-Linden-Lakeland C.C.) and senior guard Antonio Green (Inkster, Mich.-Dearborn Heights Robichaud) both scored 13 for the Eagles while sophomore guard Austin Harper (Grand Haven, Mich.-Grand Haven-Glen Oaks C.C.) added nine.

Virginia Tech, now 10-3 on the year, had two players in double figures led by Erick Green with 12 and Cadarian Raines added 10.

The Eagles finished the game making 16-of-57 field-goal attempts and 6-of-25 triples while Virginia Tech was making 24-of-53 shots from the field and 7-of-22 from beyond the arc. The home squad would record a commanding 43-31 edge on the boards.

The two teams traded threes to start the game with Virginia Tech's Jarell Eddie hitting a long-range shot at the 17:55 mark with EMU's Lampley connecting on a triple to tie the game at 16:04.

The EMU zone defense kept the Hokies at bay through the first nine minutes, with the home team holding a slim 11-9 advantage at the 11:22 mark when EMU senior center Kamil Janton (Tarnow, Poland-Bartlett (Ill.)) scoring on a reverse layup.

From that point on it was all Hokies in the second half as the home team ran off 16 unanswered points to take a 27-9 lead into intermission.

EMU made just 3-of-21 field-goal attempts in the first half for 14.3 percent and also lost the battle of the boards, 18-13. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, was hitting 9-of-18 attempts and 3-of-9 triples. Green led all scorers in the first 15 minutes with eight while Lampley's three topped the Eagle effort.

The Hokies began the second half much like the first ended, on a 6-0 run for a 33-9 lead before Lampley finally broke a 11:54 scoreless drought going all the way back to the 11:22 mark of the first half with two free throws.

Green would then hit a long three and a 12-foot jumper to put a little life back into the EMU offense, making it 45-20 with 13:10 left in the game.

The Hokies would build a 27-point lead, 61-34, with 5:31 left, but the Eagles managed to cut it to 21, 71-50, at the end.

The Eagles will now have a short break before heading to California, Dec. 29-30, to play in the Carrier Classic in Santa Clara. Eastern will meet host Santa Clara University in the first game, Dec. 29.

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Team Stats

Antonio Green

Darrell Lampley

Austin Harper

Jamell Harris

Eastern Michigan Athletics