Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, January 24
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
4:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
12-7, 1-5MAC
51
at
65
Central Michigan
14-3, 4-2MAC
1
2
F
Eastern Michigan
23
28
51
Central Michigan
36
29
65
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Chloe Smith
Late Run Not Enough, Eastern Drops Second Straight at CMU
1/24/2015 7:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eastern is now 1-5 in MAC play after three weeks
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University's men's basketball team dropped its second in a row Saturday, Jan. 24, when the Eagles (12-7, 1-5 MAC) were knocked off by Central Michigan University, 65-51. After trailing by as many as 21, Eastern cut the Chippewas (14-3, 4-2 MAC) lead to a little as eight in the second half, but was unable to surmount the comeback necessary for a victory.
Raven Lee (Detroit, Mich.-Romulus) led the Eagles with 18 points after connecting on 6-of-17 from the floor, including three from long range. Brandon Nazione (Howell, Mich.-Howell (Des Moines Area C.C.)) added eight points, while tying a season-best eight rebounds and Mike Talley (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale ABT (Duquesne)) added nine points, including hitting a pair of three-pointers. As a team, the Eagles shot just 18-of-59 from the floor (30.5 percent), while being outrebounded by the Chippewas, 45-38.
John Simons scored a team-best 15 points for CMU, while Chris Fowler added 13. Rayshawn Simmons went for nine points and nine rebounds, while Braylon Rayson scored eight. EMU held Central Michigan to one of their lowest offensive outputs in the season, as the Chippewas converted on 19-of-52 attempts for a 36.5 percent performance.
Karrington Ward (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township (Moraine Valley C.C.)) started the scoring, converting a layup on the Green and White's fourth possession of the game, giving the Eagles a quick 2-0 lead. In the ensuing possession, Simons answered on the other end with a corner three. After trading blows, the Chippewas were able to bust out on the back of three, three-point buckets in four trips to capture an 11-point, 22-11, lead with 10 minutes left in the half.
Over the next six minutes of the play, the Eagles outscored the Chippewas, 12-5, to bring themselves back within four, 27-23, after Lee knocked down a three-ball with 2:07 left on the clock. The run was short lived for EMU as Simons and Fowler return-fired on back-to-back possessions with three-pointers to put CMU back up 10 with 57 seconds to go. Eastern would head into the break trailing by 13, 36-23.
Nazione led the offensive charge in the first half for EMU, scoring six points, while Lee added five and Anali Okoloji (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Impact Basketball Academy (George Mason)) added four points and four rebounds. Fowler scored 11 points in the first half, while Simons posted 10 points and five rebounds in the first 20 minutes of play.
Out of the gate in the second half, Central rattled off an 8-0 run to push the lead to 21, 44-23, with just over 17 minutes remaining in the game. Eastern attempted to cut into the lead but the Chippewas would counter with a basket in the next three attempts, until a three from Talley sparked a run for the Eagles.
Talley's three-ball with 14:43 on the clock began a 16-4 run, bringing the Eagles within eight points, 52-44, with 8:36 remaining. EMU would never bring it closer than eight and Central Michigan would throw a punch back on any make by Eastern until the final minutes when the Green and White saw CMU extend the lead to final of 14, 65-51, following a made free throw by Simons.
The Eagles return back to Ypsilanti Tuesday, Jan. 27, when they play host to Ohio University. The Bobcats are coming off of two-straight wins in Mid-American Conference play, while Eastern looks to pick up its second MAC win of the year
Raven Lee (Detroit, Mich.-Romulus) led the Eagles with 18 points after connecting on 6-of-17 from the floor, including three from long range. Brandon Nazione (Howell, Mich.-Howell (Des Moines Area C.C.)) added eight points, while tying a season-best eight rebounds and Mike Talley (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale ABT (Duquesne)) added nine points, including hitting a pair of three-pointers. As a team, the Eagles shot just 18-of-59 from the floor (30.5 percent), while being outrebounded by the Chippewas, 45-38.
John Simons scored a team-best 15 points for CMU, while Chris Fowler added 13. Rayshawn Simmons went for nine points and nine rebounds, while Braylon Rayson scored eight. EMU held Central Michigan to one of their lowest offensive outputs in the season, as the Chippewas converted on 19-of-52 attempts for a 36.5 percent performance.
Karrington Ward (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township (Moraine Valley C.C.)) started the scoring, converting a layup on the Green and White's fourth possession of the game, giving the Eagles a quick 2-0 lead. In the ensuing possession, Simons answered on the other end with a corner three. After trading blows, the Chippewas were able to bust out on the back of three, three-point buckets in four trips to capture an 11-point, 22-11, lead with 10 minutes left in the half.
Over the next six minutes of the play, the Eagles outscored the Chippewas, 12-5, to bring themselves back within four, 27-23, after Lee knocked down a three-ball with 2:07 left on the clock. The run was short lived for EMU as Simons and Fowler return-fired on back-to-back possessions with three-pointers to put CMU back up 10 with 57 seconds to go. Eastern would head into the break trailing by 13, 36-23.
Nazione led the offensive charge in the first half for EMU, scoring six points, while Lee added five and Anali Okoloji (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Impact Basketball Academy (George Mason)) added four points and four rebounds. Fowler scored 11 points in the first half, while Simons posted 10 points and five rebounds in the first 20 minutes of play.
Out of the gate in the second half, Central rattled off an 8-0 run to push the lead to 21, 44-23, with just over 17 minutes remaining in the game. Eastern attempted to cut into the lead but the Chippewas would counter with a basket in the next three attempts, until a three from Talley sparked a run for the Eagles.
Talley's three-ball with 14:43 on the clock began a 16-4 run, bringing the Eagles within eight points, 52-44, with 8:36 remaining. EMU would never bring it closer than eight and Central Michigan would throw a punch back on any make by Eastern until the final minutes when the Green and White saw CMU extend the lead to final of 14, 65-51, following a made free throw by Simons.
The Eagles return back to Ypsilanti Tuesday, Jan. 27, when they play host to Ohio University. The Bobcats are coming off of two-straight wins in Mid-American Conference play, while Eastern looks to pick up its second MAC win of the year
Team Stats
EMU
CMU
FG%
.305
.365
3FG%
.231
.345
FT%
.643
.680
RB
38
45
TO
10
12
STL
8
5
Game Leaders
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
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