Eagles Snap 16-Game Losing Skid to RedHawks, 65-58

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team broke a 16-game losing streak against Miami University, defeating the RedHawks for the first time since 1997, 65-58, Saturday afternoon, Jan. 19, inside the Convocation Center.

EMU's second-straight conference win gets the team back to .500 (2-2) in Mid-American Conference play. The Eagles also improved to 9-9 on the season with a ninth-straight home victory while knocking off the RedHawks (7-9; 2-2 MAC) for the first time since an 82-77 decision Feb. 6, 1997, at EMU's former basketball home, Bowen Field House.

Derek Thompson (Detriot, Mich. – Melvindale) was one of three Eagles to score in double figures, leading his team with 16 points. Glenn Bryant (Detroit, Mich. – Oak Hill Academy) added 13 points and Daylen Harrison (Akron, Ohio – St. Vincent St. Mary) chipped in with 10. Freshman guard Jalen Ross (Greensboro, N.C. – Greensboro Day) also turned in a solid performance, tallying eight points along with dishing out a career-high eight assists.

EMU shot 51.2 percent, making 22-of-43 shots from the floor including 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) from beyond the arc. The Green and White dominated the boards, 34-24, and scored 17 second chance points.

Will Felder led Miami in scoring and rebounding with a 12-point, nine-board performance. Like the Eagles, the RedHawks made 22 buckets, but attempted eight more, shooting 22-of-51 for a 43.1 field-goal percentage. Miami struggled from three-point range, launching 24 shots while only making six of them. With the loss, MU drops to 7-9 (2-2 MAC) on the season.

Miami started off scoring the first four points of the game, but EMU responded with a 10-0 run that included back-to-back threes from Thompson and Harrison. A RedHawks' three was answered by a Bryant dunk, and Eastern led, 12-7, at the 14:03 mark of the first half.

The Eagles' hot start continued as the Green and White hit consecutive threes, the latter coming as Thompson was fouled on the attempt. The senior guard converted the rare four-point play to increase the EMU lead to nine, 21-12, with 11:59 remaining. In the game's first eight minutes, Eastern made 8-of-12 shots including 4-of-6 from long range.

Miami made four shots from beyond the arc to try to stay within striking distance. However, the Eagles kept up their success from deep, making 7-of-11 threes to lead, 38-25, at the half.

Coming into Saturday's contest, Eastern led the MAC in three-point field goal percentage, making 42.4 percent of its attempts. Not only were seven first-half threes the most EMU has made in one half this season, but they were also the second most Eastern has made in an entire game all season.

Thompson and Harrison led the Eagles with 10 points apiece in the opening half. Bryant scored eight first-half points, and J.R. Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind. – Snider) added a pair of threes for six points. While Ross did not score in the opening stanza, the freshman point guard dished out five assists.

EMU went 15-of-26 in the first half to shoot 57.7 percent from the floor— the second consecutive game the Eagles made over 57 percent of its shots in the opening half. Miami shot 43.5 percent in the first 20 minutes, making 10-of-23 attempts.

Bryant increased the Eagles' lead coming out of the break with a thunderous slam from the baseline. However, the RedHawks scored six straight points to cut the EMU lead to single digits, 40-31, prompting EMU Head Coach Rob Murphy to call timeout with 16:48 remaining in the game.

Da'Shonte Riley (Detroit, Mich. – Detroit Country Day) ended an 11-0 Miami run with an offensive put-back slam, but the RedHawks scored on their next possession to make it a four-point game. Eastern answered with a run of its own, scoring the game's next seven points to make it 49-38 with 11:52 showing on the clock.

Eastern maintained a comfortable lead throughout the next eight minutes, but the RedHawks made things interesting by trimming the lead down to five, 56-51, with just 3:07 left.

Miami made it a 60-58 game with 1:35 left after a three from the corner. Following a RedHawk foul, Ross missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving Miami a chance to tie the game. However, a missed jumper was secured by EMU, and Ross was sent back to the line with 56.7 seconds remaining. This time, Ross converted both free throws to double the difference to four, 62-58.

The EMU defense tightened up, holding Miami scoreless for the rest of the game, winning by a final score of 65-58.

Following two straight conference wins at home, the Eagles hit the road for their next match up at Western Michigan University, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m, in Kalamazoo, Mich., before returning to the friendly confines of the Convocation Center to face Northern Illinois University Saturday, Jan. 26.

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Team Stats

Derek Thompson

Glenn Bryant

Daylen Harrison

J.R. Sims

Eastern Michigan Athletics