Talley's Career Day Propels Eagles to Victory Over WMU

Game Highlights

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Behind clutch free throw shooting along with a career-high 24 points from redshirt-senior guard Mike Talley (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale ABT (Duquesne)), the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team protected its home floor for a 69-63 victory over rival Western Michigan University Saturday afternoon, Jan. 31, at the Convocation Center. The victory caps off a perfect week in Mid-American Conference play for the Eagles, taking two contest to improve to 14-7 (3-5 MAC) on the season.

The Eagles knocked down 21-of-25 free throws for an impressive 84 percent clip. Talley finished his career game with 24 points and a career-best four three-pointers, going 6-of-12 from the floor and 8-of-9 at the foul line. Two other Eagles notched double-digit points with Raven Lee (Detroit, Mich.-Romulus) recording 15, including a perfect 7-of-7 from the stripe, and Brandon Nazione (Howell, Mich.-Howell (Des Moines Area C.C.)) added a career-high 11 to the Green and White scoring effort. Eastern forced the Broncos into 12 turnovers and blocked four WMU shots. As a team, the Green and White shot 41.7 percent, improving the percentage by going 12-of-23 (52.2 percent) in the second half.

Western Michigan (13-8, 4-4 MAC) was paced by four Broncos in double figures as Tucker Haymond and David Brown tallied 14 points apiece. Connar Tava contributed with a double-double to the tune of 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Drake Lamont scored 11. WMU went 19-of-44 from the field and also found success at the line by going 19-of-25.

Following the first bucket of the game by the Broncos, EMU rattled off six-straight points with the help of four Western turnovers in the first three minutes of the contest. Four of those points came at the charity stripe as Lee knocked down all three after being fouled from beyond the arc and Talley split his pair of attempts. WMU responded with a 6-2 run of its own to knot the contest at eight points apiece. The game continued to be a back-and-forth battle, and with the game tied at 13-13, Talley rose from the top of the key for a successful triple try to give his team three-point advantage with 12:01 remaining in the first half.

Both defenses tightened up as the two rivals went scoreless for nearly five minutes until Tim Bond (Baltimore, Md.-City College HS) drove the baseline for an easy deuce. The freshman guard added another swift move in the paint to make it a 20-13 contest in favor of the Green and White. Once again, the 7-0 run was answered by an identical stretch for the Broncos. A three by Brown tied the game at 20, but it did not last long as Jerome Hunter (Buffalo, N.Y.-Queen City Prep (Alabama A&M)) converted a pair of free throws to push Eastern ahead. Four-straight points for the Broncos gave them their first lead since the opening bucket, but a Nazione dunk on the Eagles' next possession left the game at a standstill. Continuing the trend, a Talley step-back three was answered by a Brown corner trey. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, each team knocked down two free throws to send the game to halftime, 31-31.

Talley reached double figures in the first 20 minutes of play with 11 points, while Nazione's nine first half points tied his career high in a complete game. As a team, the Green and White shot just 32 percent (8-of-25) from the field, sinking just 3-of-10 from long range. Keeping them in the tussle, the Eagles knocked down 12-of-13 from the line in the opening half. Western shot 10-of-23 for a 43.5 percent clip, but also struggled from beyond the arc, going 3-for-11. Balanced scoring resulted in six different Broncos scored during the first half led by eight from Brown. In the battle of the boards, rebounds stood at 17-17.

Leads continued to change hands to start the second half. With Eastern trailing by three, 43-40, Talley drilled a corner three bomb while being fouled in a process. Coming out of the media timeout, the senior guard made his free throw for the rare four-point play, turning the game back into the hands of the Green and White. On the very next possession and with a hand in his face, the Detroit, Mich. native drilled another triple, this time from the top of the key. He followed a WMU free throw with a bucket down low for his own 9-1 run against the Broncos, giving Eastern the 49-44 cushion with 9:54 left to play.

A rejection on the defensive side of the floor accompanied with an old-fashioned three-point play all courtesy of Bond gave the Eagles a 61-52 lead. The margin later increased to double digits after a three from the wing by Lee. Following a WMU bucket and the shot clock winding down, Talley created space on the way to the hole for a driving layup that kept the difference in double figures while also giving him a new career-high scoring total. Western continued to fight, slicing the lead in half with 1:30 remaining, 66-61. The Eagles held onto the lead down the stretch to beat the rival Broncos by a 69-63 final.

EMU will look to move its success to the road for its next conference contest, making the short venture south to face the University of Toledo Rockets, Feb. 4. Tipoff from Savage Arena is set for 7 p.m. The MAC West division showdown will be broadcast on ESPN3 as well as the airwaves of WEMU (89.1 FM).

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Team Stats

Mike Talley

Ray Lee

Brandon Nazione

Tim Bond

Players Mentioned

Tim Bond

Jerome Hunter

Ray Lee

Brandon Nazione

Mike Talley

Players Mentioned

Tim Bond

Jerome Hunter

Ray Lee

Brandon Nazione

Mike Talley

Eastern Michigan Athletics