EMU Grabs At Least a Share of the MAC West Division Title

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — It was only appropriate that two seniors would lead the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team here Saturday, Feb. 25, on Senior Night in the Convocation Center.

Senior guards Darrell Lampley (Linden, N.J.-Linden-Lakeland C.C.) and Antonio Green (Inkster, Mich.-Dearborn Heights Robichaud) scored 13 and 10 points respectively to lead EMU to a 61-50 win over Ball State University in a Mid-American Conference West Division game.

With the win, Head Coach Rob Murphy's Eagles improve to 8-6 in the MAC and 13-16 overall and have earned at least a share of the 2011-12 MAC West Division title. EMU's win over Ball State, coupled with Toledo's win over Western Michigan Saturday, Feb. 25, gives the Eagles a two-game lead over both Western and Toledo, both at 6-8, and assures the Green and White of at least a share of the West Division title. EMU plays at Western Michigan Wednesday, Feb. 29, and at Toledo Saturday, March 3. If EMU wins one of those two contests, or if Toledo and WMU lose one of their final two games, the Eagles will win the title outright.

Ball State falls to 13-14 overall and 4-10 in MAC play.

In addition to Lampley and Green, Eastern redshirt sophomore guard J.R. Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind.-Snider) had nine points, junior forward Jamell Harris (Euclid, Ohio-Euclid) added eight points with six rebounds and junior guard Derek Thompson (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale-SEMO) added eight points.

Ball State was led by Jarrod Jones with 14 points while Tyrae Robinson scored five points with 10 assists and Tyler Koch added nine points.

Eastern finished the game shooting 36.2 percent from the field, making 17-of-47 attempts, but followed up a poor 25 percent first-half shooting effort with a 50 percent second-half output. EMU also managed to control the backboards, recording a 33-23 advantage. Eastern also shot a blistering 87 percent from the free throw stripe, making 20-of-23 attempts.

Ball State shot 47.6 percent for the game, making 20-of-42 shots, but the Cardinals made just 4-of-11 free throws for 36.4 percent.

Ball State opened the game with a quick five points before Lampley halted that streak on a jumper.

The Cardinals would build their advantage to seven, 19-12, with 3:35 on the clock, but Eastern would go to the long ball, with two straight threes, from Green and Sims to pull the Eagles within two, 22-20, with 1:34 left.

That 22-20 score would stand as the teams headed to intermission.

The Eagles would hit just 25 percent of their field goals in the first half, making 7-of-27 while Ball State was making 45 percent, hitting 9-of-20. Despite the rough first-half shooting effort, the Eagles managed to out-rebound the Cardinals, 17-14.

Ball State would open the second half on a dunk by Jones and EMU would answer with two straight alley-opp dunks by Harris on passes from Lampley to tie the score at 24-all.

The Eagles would make it a 9-0 run after a two-point goal by Green and a three from Sims, putting EMU up, 29-24, with 17:04 left.

EMU would once again go to the alley-opp combination of Lampley to Harris to stake a 10-point lead, 43-33, with 10:13 left in the game.

Ball State would come back to cut it to three, 43-40, with 7:55 left on a three by Tyler Koch, but the Eagles would come back to boost their lead to 10, 54-44, on two Lampley free throws with 2:05 left.

The Cardinals' Koch would hit another three to cut the deficit to seven, 54-47, with 1:43 left and once again, the Eagles answered with free throws to boost their lead to 11, 58-47, with 54 seconds left and went on to post the 11-point win, 61-50, to sweep the two-game series with the Cardinals this season.

The Eagles will now go on the road for their final two regular-season games of the year. Eastern is slated to play at Western Michigan Wednesday, Feb. 29, and then close out with a Saturday, March 3, afternoon tilt at Toledo.

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Team Stats

Darrell Lampley

Antonio Green

J.R. Sims

Derek Thompson

Eastern Michigan Athletics