Ward and Eagles Soar Past Cleveland State, 81-69

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – After trailing at halftime, 35-32, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team put together a thrilling second half to fly past the Cleveland State University Vikings, 81-69, Monday, Nov. 18, at the Convocation Center. With the victory, the Eagles continue their perfect start of the 2013-14 campaign, posting a 4-0 record for the first time since the 1996-97 season.

Karrington Ward (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township) once again put together a career-high game, leading the Eagles in scoring with 28 points while grabbing six rebounds. The junior college transfer made 9-of-10 shots from the floor, including all three attempts from three-point land while converting 7-of-11 from the charity stripe. Off the bench, Glenn Bryant (Detroit, Mich.-Oak Hill Academy) tallied 10 points and tied Ward with a team-high six rebounds in the victory.

The Eagles shot 54.2 percent from the field, including 15-of-23 in the second half for a 65.2 percent clip, outscoring CSU 49-34 in the final 20 minutes of the game. Eastern made five-of-eight triples while also converting 24-of-39 free throw opportunities. Despite being out-rebounded and giving up 26 second chance points, the Green and White outscored CSU in the paint, 34-22, and on the break, 23-13. Also, it was a block party once against for EMU as the Eagles stuffed 13 shots throughout the night.

Bryn Forbes recorded 22 points and Trey Lewis added 19 to lead the Vikings (2-2). After shooting 42.5 percent in the opening half, the EMU 2-3 zone limited CSU to just 17.6 percent shooting on 6-of-34 attempts from the floor. Cleveland State grabbed 50 rebounds, including 26 offensive boards that converted into 26 points.

Head Coach Rob Murphy's squad got off to a fast start, taking a 6-2 lead within the first minute of the contest. The Vikings responded with four straight points to tie the game, but a three from Mike Talley (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale ABT) kept the Eagles in front. The long range jumper, along with four CSU turnovers, became part of a 7-2 EMU run to give the Eagles a 13-8 advantage with 15:59 remaining in the opening half.

Eastern would increase its lead to six, but the Vikings responded with an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the game. J.R. Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind.-Snider) would end the run, hitting a jumper from just inside the arc to break a five-minute scoreless streak for EMU and tie the game up. The two teams would exchange three pointers, and the game remained knotted up, 21-21, at the 8:14 mark of the first half.

The contest would continue to go back-and-forth throughout the remainder of the first 20 minutes. With the game tied at 31 with 1:04 to go before halftime, Cleveland State hit a pair of free throws to take a two-point lead. On the other end of the floor, Olalekan Ajayi (Winston Salem, N.C.-Quality Education Academy) hit one-of-two from the line to cut the CSU advantage to one. Each team would turn it over, but the Vikings would be the only squad to turn the mistake into points, taking a 35-32 into the locker room.

Ward continued his strong season with an impressive first half, making four-of-five shots, including a pair of treys, to lead EMU with 14 points. EMU shot 11-of-25 from the floor for a 44 percent clip as well as three-of-five from long range. Meanwhile, the Vikings shot 42.4 percent from the field, sinking 14-of-33 baskets. CSU struggled from beyond the arc, making just two of its 13 attempts. The biggest difference in the first half came on the glass as EMU was out-rebounded by Cleveland State, 27-12. CSU grabbed 13 offensive boards, converting them into 18 second chance points.

The Eagles scored the first four points of the second half to regain the lead; however, another second-chance bucket by the Vikings gave them the lead right back. EMU answered with a pair of Daylen Harrison (Akron, Ohio-St. Vincent-St. Mary) free throws, a three from Jalen Ross (Greensboro, N.C.-Greensboro Day School) and a 15-footer from Harrison to build a 43-39 advantage. However, back-to-back triples from Forbes put his team on top, forcing Coach Murphy to call timeout with 14:11 remaining in the contest.

The timeout by Coach Murphy seemed to work; Bryant and Talley made consecutive buckets down low to put the Eagles up as the see-saw battle continued into the second frame. Another CSU basket tied things up, but the Eagles would tighten down on the defensive end of the floor along with scoring the next 10 points on the offensive side of the hardwood to lead, 57-47, causing a CSU timeout.

Out of the timeout, a CSU miss would lead to a fastbreak where Talley would lob a perfect alley-oop as Bryant slammed the ball home, bringing the Convocation Center crowd to its feet. A free throw ended the 12-0 EMU run, but Bryant once again scored on the block to increase the EMU advantage to 13, 61-48, with 9:16 left in the game.

Cleveland State didn't give up, scoring 11 of the next 16 points in the next five minutes to nearly cut the lead in half. However, the Vikings would not get within six points for the rest of the contest. Ward converted an alley-oop, threw down a thunderous dunk over the CSU center, and made a bucket falling down as he was fouled to put his team ahead by a dozen.

The Green and White will end its five-game homestand, but continue the Keightley Classic with a matchup against the Texas-Arlington Mavericks Saturday Nov. 23 at 7 p.m.

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Team Stats

Karrington Ward

Glenn Bryant

Mike Talley

Daylen Harrison

Eastern Michigan Athletics