Men's Hoops Rolls Past Siena Heights, 87-49

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team snapped its three-game losing skid with a convincing 87-49 victory over Siena Heights University Friday, Dec. 28, at the Convocation Center.

The Eagles (7-5) started the game on a 14-0 run and did not look back. EMU shot 55.0 percent (33-of-60) from the floor and 6-of-14 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc en route to their largest offensive output of the 2012-13 campaign. In addition to moving to 7-1 inside the Convocation Center, the Green and White held an opponent to less than 50 points for the fourth time this season.

Senior Derek Thompson (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale) notched a game-high 17 points and was one-of-four EMU players to hit double figures. Thompson was dangerous from outside, going 5-of-9 from three-point land and 6-of-10 overall.

Setting a career-high in the scoring column was junior Da'Shonte Riley (Detroit, Mich.-Detroit Country Day), whose 5-for-6 effort gave him 10 points on the afternoon. Riley also chipped in on the defensive side of the ball with five blocks and five boards.

Redshirt juniors Daylen Harrison (Akron, Ohio-St. Vincent St. Mary) and Glenn Bryant (Detroit, Mich,-Oak Hill Academy) tallied 15 and 13 points, respectively.

The Saints (4-11) struggled offensively particularly in the first half, when they amassed just 16 points. In the second stanza, Siena Heights scored 33 points to finish the game 17-of-53 (32.1 percent) with an 8-of-24 (33.3 percent) showing from three-point range. Ryan Hopson led all SHU scorers with 11 points.

Eastern Michigan poured in the first 14 points of the game, with the Saints scoring their first bucket with 14:45 showing on the first-half clock. Harrison led the early charge with six points on 3-of-3 shooting, while Riley added a pair of jumpers for four points.

With Siena Heights struggling to hit shots at a 20-percent (2-of-10) clip after nine minutes of play, Thompson was busy draining back-to-back three-pointers to increase the EMU lead to 20-5.

As the first half wore on, the Eagles continued to convert field goals at rate of better than 50 percent while holding the Saints under 25 percent. A Thompson make at the 2:27 mark grew the Green and White's lead to 30, 44-14.

Jamison Webster ended a span of 6:30 in which the Saints did not register a point when he filled a fast-break layup with 28 ticks on the clock. What appeared to be a buzzer-beating trey from Corey Hungerford was overturned to send EMU to the locker room with a 47-16 advantage.

EMU's offense showed no mercy on the Saints in the first half, shooting a blistering 58.1 percent (18-of-31) overall and 42.9 percent (3-of-7) from long distance. The Eagles capitalized on 11 Saints' turnovers to the tune of 26 points. Thompson led all scorers at the break with 11 points.

Hopson paced the Saints' offense in the first half with 10 points. As a team, Siena Heights was just 6-of-26 (23.1 percent) from the floor with three of those buckets coming from downtown.

The Eagles increased their lead to 40, 72-32, with 8:14 left in the game when Bryant walked in all alone for the slam. Harrison and Thompson continued to be efficient for EMU, with Thompson tossing in his fourth and fifth three-pointers of the game in back-to-back possessions.

Siena Heights outscored the Eagles, 17-15, over the final eight minutes of play, but it would not be enough to put a dent in EMU's large lead.

EMU kicks off the 2013 calendar year with a road game Wednesday, Jan. 2, against the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

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Team Stats

Derek Thompson

Daylen Harrison

Glenn Bryant

Da'Shonte Riley

Eastern Michigan Athletics