Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, January 18
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
11-6, 3-1MAC
72
at
59
Central Michigan
7-9, 0-4MAC
1
2
F
Eastern Michigan
25
47
72
Central Michigan
21
38
59
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Eagles Tied for MAC Lead After 72-59 Win at Central Michigan
1/18/2014 10:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Mike Talley carried the load for EMU scoring 21
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Despite losing all three games that it has played in at McGuirk Arena, the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team reversed the trend in Mount Pleasant, Mich. by defeating Central Michigan University, 72-59, for the first time on the road since the 2008-09 season. With the victory, Eastern is tied for the lead in the Mid-American Conference with a tally of 3-1 in MAC games, while owning an 11-6 overall record. Central is now 7-9 on the season and 0-4 in conference play. The win is Eastern's second MAC win on the road, which ties the amount of conference road games that EMU won during the 2012-13 season.
Mike Talley (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale ABT (Duquesne)) was the high-scorer in the game, tying his career-best 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting. In addition, Talley was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Karrington Ward (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township (Moraine Valley C.C.)) owned the glass for EMU pulling down a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with 15 points. Raven Lee (Detroit, Mich.-Romulus) provided 10 points off the bench, going 4-of-7 from the floor. As a team, the Green and White shot 43.8 percent from the floor (21-of-48), while knocking down 82.9 percent (29-of-35) of their shots at the charity stripe.
CMU had two double-digit scorers with Austin Stewart posting a team-high 15 points, while Chris Fowler added 13 of his own. Eastern held the Chippewas to just a 35.2 percent field goal percentage, while holding them to just 59 points, 16 points less than their season average.
After missing the first shot of the game, the Eagles pulled down an offensive rebound and Talley drained a triple to get EMU on the board first at the 19:32 mark. Central quickly marched back to a three point, 8-5 lead, but the Eagles retaliated with a 12-2 run, regaining the lead and extending it to seven with just over six minutes to go in the first half, however the Chips didn't go away quietly. Using a 9-2 run, CMU tied up the game at 19 points apiece before EMU scored six of the final eight points in the half to head into the break with a 25-21 lead.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half. EMU knocked down just eight of its 25 field goal attempts, for a 32 percent, while converting just one of nine triple tries. Talley led the way, scoring nine points on 2-of-4 shooting, while sinking all four of his free throw attempts. The Green and White held Central to just a 26.1 percent free throw percentage in the opening half.
Offense was easier to come by in the second half, as EMU shot 56.5 percent in the final 20 minutes of play. EMU knocked down 13 of its 23 field goal attempts, while also hitting 21-of-26 of its free throw chances.
Eastern traded buckets with the Chips through the first six minutes of play in the second half before rattling off a 13-4 run to extend the lead to 14, 51-37, with 10:29 left in the contest. Central mounted a miniature comeback, outscoring the Green and White, 17-9, in the next seven minutes, cutting the Eastern lead to just six, 60-54, with just over three minutes left in the contest.
The Chippewas fouled the Green and White down the stretch, in attempts to get more chances to crawl back into the game. However, over the final 180 ticks of the clock, the Eagles drained 10-of-12 free throw attempts to keep their lead intact. Central scored just five points in that span, two of which were scored by John Simons at the free throw line, while Blake Hibbetts netted a three-ball. It was EMU's stifling defensive effort that kept Central to under 60 points for just the third time this season, taking a 72-59 victory away from Mount Pleasant.
The Eagles return home for three-straight games, starting Wednesday, Jan. 22, when Eastern hosts the reigning MAC Tournament Champion, University of Akron, for a 7 p.m. contest at the Convocation Center. The game will be televised by the Time Warner Cable Sports Channel (TWC) in Ohio and New York, and offered to ESPN for inclusion on ESPN3, Watch ESPN and ESPN Full Court. TWC will also work with affiliates in the MAC footprint concerning distribution in Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana (Comcast Michigan, Comcast Indiana, Comcast Sports Net Chicago, Charter).
Mike Talley (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale ABT (Duquesne)) was the high-scorer in the game, tying his career-best 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting. In addition, Talley was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Karrington Ward (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township (Moraine Valley C.C.)) owned the glass for EMU pulling down a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with 15 points. Raven Lee (Detroit, Mich.-Romulus) provided 10 points off the bench, going 4-of-7 from the floor. As a team, the Green and White shot 43.8 percent from the floor (21-of-48), while knocking down 82.9 percent (29-of-35) of their shots at the charity stripe.
CMU had two double-digit scorers with Austin Stewart posting a team-high 15 points, while Chris Fowler added 13 of his own. Eastern held the Chippewas to just a 35.2 percent field goal percentage, while holding them to just 59 points, 16 points less than their season average.
After missing the first shot of the game, the Eagles pulled down an offensive rebound and Talley drained a triple to get EMU on the board first at the 19:32 mark. Central quickly marched back to a three point, 8-5 lead, but the Eagles retaliated with a 12-2 run, regaining the lead and extending it to seven with just over six minutes to go in the first half, however the Chips didn't go away quietly. Using a 9-2 run, CMU tied up the game at 19 points apiece before EMU scored six of the final eight points in the half to head into the break with a 25-21 lead.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half. EMU knocked down just eight of its 25 field goal attempts, for a 32 percent, while converting just one of nine triple tries. Talley led the way, scoring nine points on 2-of-4 shooting, while sinking all four of his free throw attempts. The Green and White held Central to just a 26.1 percent free throw percentage in the opening half.
Offense was easier to come by in the second half, as EMU shot 56.5 percent in the final 20 minutes of play. EMU knocked down 13 of its 23 field goal attempts, while also hitting 21-of-26 of its free throw chances.
Eastern traded buckets with the Chips through the first six minutes of play in the second half before rattling off a 13-4 run to extend the lead to 14, 51-37, with 10:29 left in the contest. Central mounted a miniature comeback, outscoring the Green and White, 17-9, in the next seven minutes, cutting the Eastern lead to just six, 60-54, with just over three minutes left in the contest.
The Chippewas fouled the Green and White down the stretch, in attempts to get more chances to crawl back into the game. However, over the final 180 ticks of the clock, the Eagles drained 10-of-12 free throw attempts to keep their lead intact. Central scored just five points in that span, two of which were scored by John Simons at the free throw line, while Blake Hibbetts netted a three-ball. It was EMU's stifling defensive effort that kept Central to under 60 points for just the third time this season, taking a 72-59 victory away from Mount Pleasant.
The Eagles return home for three-straight games, starting Wednesday, Jan. 22, when Eastern hosts the reigning MAC Tournament Champion, University of Akron, for a 7 p.m. contest at the Convocation Center. The game will be televised by the Time Warner Cable Sports Channel (TWC) in Ohio and New York, and offered to ESPN for inclusion on ESPN3, Watch ESPN and ESPN Full Court. TWC will also work with affiliates in the MAC footprint concerning distribution in Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana (Comcast Michigan, Comcast Indiana, Comcast Sports Net Chicago, Charter).
Team Stats
EMU
CMU
FG%
.438
.352
3FG%
.077
.231
FT%
.829
.577
RB
38
34
TO
12
12
STL
9
7
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
8
Pts
15
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
7
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
5
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