Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, March 5
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
14-16, 7-8MAC
59
at
61
Central Michigan
11-18, 4-11MAC
1
2
F
Eastern Michigan
24
35
59
Central Michigan
33
28
61
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
EMU on the Wrong End of 61-59 Heartbreaker at McGuirk Arena
3/5/2013 9:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Eagles had three players with double-figure scoring performances
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team dropped its final road contest of the 2012-13 campaign Tuesday, March 5. The Eagles fell at McGuirk Arena, 61-59, at the hands of Central Michigan University.
Eastern (14-16; 7-8 MAC) was led offensively by Derek Thompson (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale (SEMO)) with 14 points, while Glenn Bryant (Detroit, Mich.-Oak Hill Academy (Arkansas)) had 13 and Daylen Harrison (Akron, Ohio-St. Vincent St. Mary (Wyoming)) posted 12. Bryant led EMU on the glass, pulling down seven rebounds while Harrison and Da'Shonte Riley (Detroit, Mich.-Country Day (Syracuse)) each had five caroms. As a team, Eastern shot 25-of-54 (46.3 percent) from the floor, while hitting 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) from beyond the arc. EMU also out-rebounded the Chippewas, 36-24, in the loss.
Kyle Randall exploded for Central (11-18; 4-11 MAC) with a game-high 23 points, while Oliver Mbaigato notched 14 and Blake Hibbits contributed 13. Randall was 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) from the floor, including a blistering 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) from three-point land. Hibbits knocked down three triples for CMU. Central shot 20-of-47 (42.6 percent) from the floor while hitting 9-of-24 (37.5 percent) from long range.
The Chippewas opened the scoring with a three-ball from Randall, but Bryant responded with a put-back dunk to make it a 3-2 game. Central came back to score five-straight points, extending its lead to 8-2 with 17:29 left in the half which sparked EMU Head Coach Rob Murphy to call the first timeout of the contest.
Out of the timeout Jamell Harris (Euclid, Ohio-Euclid) knocked down a short-range jumper to cut the Chips lead to four, 8-4. After forcing a CMU turnover, Bryant filled up the bucket from 18-feet out to make it a two point game. Central scored four in a row to take a six point lead after Mbaigato drained a jumper from the elbow. Thompson stopped the Central run with a triple, followed by a put-back layup from Riley, bringing Eastern to within one, 12-11.
Central knocked down a three and held Eastern scoreless for over five minutes when finally, Riley hit the backend of a pair from the free throw line to make it 15-12, in favor of the Chippewas. CMU outscored the Eagles 13-7 in the next five minutes to take muster a nine point, 28-19, lead with just under three minutes left in the first half. Out of the final media timeout in the half Thompson converted on a three-ball to bring EMU to within six, 28-22, with two minutes to play in the first, but the Chippewas return-fired with five in a row, making it 33-22. Harris slammed one home on the Eagles' ensuing possession to make it 33-24 with a minute left, which is where the game stayed heading into the break.
Bryant scored the opening bucket from the elbow to begin the second half for Eastern. J.R. Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind.-Snider) drove the lane and converted on a layup then hit a mid-range jumper to bring the Eagles within three, 33-30, as the Green and White scored the first six in the second half. Central finally got on the board when Randall converted on an old-fashioned three-point play by taking a foul on a layup and converting the free throw that followed to make it 36-30 in favor of Central. Randall knocked down his fifth three-ball of the game to take a 39-30 lead, but the Eagles scored the next nine-straight to tie the game with just over 12 minutes to go.
Harrison gave the Eagles their first lead, 41-40, when he knocked down a jumper in transition with 11:53 on the clock. The lead did not last long as Mbaigato converted a three-point play on the next possession to put the Chips back on top 43-41. The Eagles and Chips traded buckets through the next few minutes until Thompson tied it up at 49 with a running jumper with under seven minute left in play.
The Chips scored the next five points, but Thompson hit his fourth three-pointer of the game to bring EMU with two, 54-52, with nearly six minutes to play. After Finis Craddock knocked down a pair of free throws to give CMU a 57-54 lead at the 3:34 mark, both squads traded field goals before Bryant took flight, flushing home a dunk after leaping from just inside the charity stripe to tie the game at 59 points apiece. Mbaigto hit a jumper to give CMU a lead with just over a minute to go and the score remained 61-59 until Coach Murphy called a timeout with 14.1 seconds left to go. In the final possession for Eastern, the Eagles were plagued by a costly turnover which left the Eagles on the wrong side of the final, 61-59.
The Eagles conclude the 2012-13 regular season Saturday, March 9, with a home contest against the University of Toledo. Saturday's contest is senior day where Matt Balkema (Roseville, Mich.-Cousino), Jamell Harris and Derek Thompson will be honored for their contributions to the men's basketball program at Eastern over the last four years. Tip is scheduled for 12:04 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
Eastern (14-16; 7-8 MAC) was led offensively by Derek Thompson (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale (SEMO)) with 14 points, while Glenn Bryant (Detroit, Mich.-Oak Hill Academy (Arkansas)) had 13 and Daylen Harrison (Akron, Ohio-St. Vincent St. Mary (Wyoming)) posted 12. Bryant led EMU on the glass, pulling down seven rebounds while Harrison and Da'Shonte Riley (Detroit, Mich.-Country Day (Syracuse)) each had five caroms. As a team, Eastern shot 25-of-54 (46.3 percent) from the floor, while hitting 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) from beyond the arc. EMU also out-rebounded the Chippewas, 36-24, in the loss.
Kyle Randall exploded for Central (11-18; 4-11 MAC) with a game-high 23 points, while Oliver Mbaigato notched 14 and Blake Hibbits contributed 13. Randall was 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) from the floor, including a blistering 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) from three-point land. Hibbits knocked down three triples for CMU. Central shot 20-of-47 (42.6 percent) from the floor while hitting 9-of-24 (37.5 percent) from long range.
The Chippewas opened the scoring with a three-ball from Randall, but Bryant responded with a put-back dunk to make it a 3-2 game. Central came back to score five-straight points, extending its lead to 8-2 with 17:29 left in the half which sparked EMU Head Coach Rob Murphy to call the first timeout of the contest.
Out of the timeout Jamell Harris (Euclid, Ohio-Euclid) knocked down a short-range jumper to cut the Chips lead to four, 8-4. After forcing a CMU turnover, Bryant filled up the bucket from 18-feet out to make it a two point game. Central scored four in a row to take a six point lead after Mbaigato drained a jumper from the elbow. Thompson stopped the Central run with a triple, followed by a put-back layup from Riley, bringing Eastern to within one, 12-11.
Central knocked down a three and held Eastern scoreless for over five minutes when finally, Riley hit the backend of a pair from the free throw line to make it 15-12, in favor of the Chippewas. CMU outscored the Eagles 13-7 in the next five minutes to take muster a nine point, 28-19, lead with just under three minutes left in the first half. Out of the final media timeout in the half Thompson converted on a three-ball to bring EMU to within six, 28-22, with two minutes to play in the first, but the Chippewas return-fired with five in a row, making it 33-22. Harris slammed one home on the Eagles' ensuing possession to make it 33-24 with a minute left, which is where the game stayed heading into the break.
Bryant scored the opening bucket from the elbow to begin the second half for Eastern. J.R. Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind.-Snider) drove the lane and converted on a layup then hit a mid-range jumper to bring the Eagles within three, 33-30, as the Green and White scored the first six in the second half. Central finally got on the board when Randall converted on an old-fashioned three-point play by taking a foul on a layup and converting the free throw that followed to make it 36-30 in favor of Central. Randall knocked down his fifth three-ball of the game to take a 39-30 lead, but the Eagles scored the next nine-straight to tie the game with just over 12 minutes to go.
Harrison gave the Eagles their first lead, 41-40, when he knocked down a jumper in transition with 11:53 on the clock. The lead did not last long as Mbaigato converted a three-point play on the next possession to put the Chips back on top 43-41. The Eagles and Chips traded buckets through the next few minutes until Thompson tied it up at 49 with a running jumper with under seven minute left in play.
The Chips scored the next five points, but Thompson hit his fourth three-pointer of the game to bring EMU with two, 54-52, with nearly six minutes to play. After Finis Craddock knocked down a pair of free throws to give CMU a 57-54 lead at the 3:34 mark, both squads traded field goals before Bryant took flight, flushing home a dunk after leaping from just inside the charity stripe to tie the game at 59 points apiece. Mbaigto hit a jumper to give CMU a lead with just over a minute to go and the score remained 61-59 until Coach Murphy called a timeout with 14.1 seconds left to go. In the final possession for Eastern, the Eagles were plagued by a costly turnover which left the Eagles on the wrong side of the final, 61-59.
The Eagles conclude the 2012-13 regular season Saturday, March 9, with a home contest against the University of Toledo. Saturday's contest is senior day where Matt Balkema (Roseville, Mich.-Cousino), Jamell Harris and Derek Thompson will be honored for their contributions to the men's basketball program at Eastern over the last four years. Tip is scheduled for 12:04 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
Team Stats
EMU
CMU
FG%
.463
.426
3FG%
.375
.375
FT%
.429
.800
RB
36
24
TO
11
7
STL
3
5
Game Leaders
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
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