Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
7-18 (4-8MAC)
Central Michigan
8-17 (5-7MAC)
Eagles Drop Close Game, 66-60, to Central Michigan
2/16/2011 10:15:33 PM | Men's Basketball
Four players score double figures as Eagles fall
Box score.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team lost a closely contested contest, 66-60, to the Central Michigan University Chippewas, Wednesday, Feb. 16, at the newly renovated McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
After trailing by at least two baskets for most of the second half, the Eagles were able to pull to within one possession, 60-58, after two free throws from reserve point guard Darrell Lampley (Linden, N.J.-Linden-Lakeland C.C.) and just over a minute remaining. With senior leader Brandon Bowdry (St. Louis, Mo.-Taylor (Mich.) Truman) on the sideline, having just fouled out two minutes prior, the Eagles lapsed, allowing CMU's Trey Zeigler to score two late baskets to propel the home team ahead to ultimately escape with the win.
With the loss, EMU falls to 7-18 (4-8 Mid-American Conference) and CMU moves to 8-17 (5-7 MAC).
Derrick Thompson (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale-SEMO) led Eastern offensively with 14 points, while Bowdry notched 13 points (11 in the second half) and Jamell Harris (Euclid, Ohio-Euclid) also scored 10 and grabbed seven rebounds. Lampley scored a dozen, and Jay Higgins (Fayetteville, NC-IMG Academy Hillsborough (Fla.) C.C.) posted nine points and a game-high eight rebounds.
The Chippewas were led by Trey Zeigler, as he scored 24 points, while John Morris and Derek Jackson each chipped in with 11 points. Antonio Weary also tallied 10 points.
The Eagles were able to get an early advantage on the home team, with Thompson, Bowdry and Harris all connecting from the field before the 16-minute mark, hopping ahead 7-4.
Eastern continued to apply the pressure, getting a steal right out of a media timeout and converting down low with a Harris hook shot. On the Eagles' next offensive possession, Thompson converted an and-one opportunity to put the Eagles up eight, 12-4.
From there, Bowdry was forced to the bench after picking up his second foul of the contest, and the Green and White hit a cold spell, only netting three points over the next eight minutes. The Chippewas capitalized and were able to score 14 points in that same time span to take an 18-15 advantage. The run was finally stopped with a pair of Thompson free throws which left EMU down one, 18-17.
Following Thompson's free throws, CMU used an 8-0 run, capped by a Zeigler alley-oop dunk, to take a 26-17 lead with just under two minutes left in the half. The Eagles would make one more run in the stanza, with Harris and Lampley each scoring a layup, to narrow the margin to five, 26-21, heading into intermission.
In the first half, the Eagles were led by Thompson's nine points and Harris' six, while Bowdry, who played just 10 minutes, scored only one basket. EMU only shot 28.6 percent (8-of-28) in the half, but outrebounded Central 20-18.
Central Michigan was led by Zeigler and Morris, who each scored eight points. The Chips managed to shoot 44 percent (11-of-25) in the first 20 minutes.
EMU carried its first half momentum into the second half, scoring the first six points and reclaiming the lead, 27-26 with 17:36 left in the game. The 10-0 run by the Eagles ended with Jackson hitting a long two-point shot.
The referee's whistle began to shift in the Eagles' favor when EMU was able to draw three consecutive fouls on Andre Coimbra in a 55 second span, including a charge that negated a made Coimbra layup. However, Central would reclaim a three-point lead only moments later, 36-33, after back-to-back baskets by Jackson and Zeigler.
After an exchange of baskets, the Eagles were on the wrong end of 43-40 ballgame before Bowdry stepped up to convert an old-fashioned three-point play after Thompson broke a CMU press. The scores knotted the game at 43 apiece.
Shortly thereafter, the fouls would even up as Bowdry was whistled for two in a span of 21 seconds, and Darrell Lampley (Linden, N.J.-Linden-Lakeland C.C.) would pick up one more just seven seconds later.
Lampley atoned for his foul just moments later as EMU trailed, 51-46, and the guard was able to knock down a triple with 5:31 left to pull the score to 51-49.
Each team would net another trey try over the next minute, but the Chips also converted a layup and free throw to put CMU on top by five, 57-52, with just under four minutes left in the game.
Bowdry was reinserted into the lineup and the Eagles were able to pull a bit closer, 59-56, but the senior fouled out at the 1:14 mark with his team down by the same score.
Lampley sank two more free throws to decrease the deficit to two points, 60-58, but Zeigler scored two more baskets to secure the win.
The Eagles will return home Saturday, Feb. 19, for an NCAA Bracket Buster game against Jacksonville State University, as the teams square off in the second game of a double header at the Convocation Center. Tip time is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
