EMU Takes Sole Possession Of West Division Lead With 55-50 Win

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team took over sole possession of the Mid-American Conference West Division race with a 55-50 win over Bowling Green State University here Saturday, Jan. 28, evening in a Mid-American Conference cross-divisional game in the Convocation Center.

Head Coach Rob Murphy's Eagles, now 5-2 in league play and 10-11 overall, out-scored Bowling Green, 12-7, over the final three minutes to record the home victory.

EMU senior guard Darrell Lampley (Linden, N.J.-Linden-Lakeland C.C.) led the way with a 20-point night while redshirt forward Anthony Strickland (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Dearborn Heights Robichaud) added eight points and six rebounds, including two clutch free throws with just 6.3 seconds left that gave the Eagles a 55-50 lead which ended up as the final score.

Bowling Green, now 9-11 overall and 3-4 in the MAC, was led by the duo of A'uston Calhoun and Dee Brown with 12 and 10 points respectively.

The Eagles finished the game shooting 36.4 percent from the field, making 20-of-55 shots while also connecting on 6-of-14 threes for 42.9 percent. Bowling Green would shoot 34.8 percent, making 16-of-46. The Falcons committed 19 turnovers but won the battle of the boards, 40-33.

Bowling Green eased out to a 17-11 lead in the first 10 minutes before Lampley would connect on an arching two-point field goal near the lane and a long triple from the top right side of the arc to cut it to 17-16, with 9:54 left in the half.

The Eagles would then score the next four unanswered points, on two Riley free throws and a driving layup by Lampley, to take a 20-17 lead with 7:06 left in the half.

The teams traded baskets before Eastern would forge a 25-all tie on a dunk by Jamell Harris (Euclid, Ohio-Euclid) with 1:24 left and the half would end with that deadlock.

Lampley led the way in the first half with seven points while Riley added five. The Eagles shot just 35.7 from the field in the first half on 10-of-28 shooting while BGSU was making just 33.3 percent of their own, hitting 8-of-24. The Falcons would hold a decisive 23-15 edge in rebounding.

Neither team could find the range in the early stages of the second half and the score remained tied at 25-all through the first 2:30.

Eastern would finally break the deadlock, going on a 12-7 run over the next five minutes to take a 37-32 lead with 11:46 left on a triple by Lampley. Strickland would add a layup just 32 seconds later for a 39-32 EMU advantage.

Bowling Green would fight back to tie the game once again at 43-all before Lampley would bury a long three from in front of the EMU bench to put Eastern on top, 46-43, with 3:12 left.

After a free throw by BG's Torian Oglesby made it 46-44, EMU's Antonio Green (Dearborn Heights, Mich.-Robichaud) would fire home a three from the right baseline for a 49-44 EMU lead with 2:20 left.

Redshirt guard J.R. Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind.-Snider) would then take a nice feed from Lampley to hit a layup with 58.6 left for a 51-44 EMU lead.

BG's Jordan Crawford would answer with a long three to cut it to four, 51-47, but Lampley and Strickland would both make two free throws each over the final 34 seconds to help EMU preserve the 55-50 victory.

The Eagles will stay in MAC cross-divisional action with a trip to Oxford, Ohio Wednesday, Feb. 1, for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Miami University RedHawks.

EMU Takes Sole Possession Of West Division Lead With 55-50 Win

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Team Stats

Darrell Lampley

Anthony Strickland

Da'Shonte Riley

Antonio Green

Eastern Michigan Athletics