EMU Takes Down Omaha, 80-73, for First Road Win of 2015-16

OMAHA, Neb. (EMUEagles.com) – Behind the third-straight double-double from freshman center James Thompson IV (Baton Rouge, La.-Parkview Baptist), the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team made it three consecutive non-conference wins in a row with an 80-73 victory over the University of Nebraska Omaha Tuesday, Dec. 1. The Eagles (5-2) held the Mavericks (3-4) to 17 points less than its average offensive output.

Eastern Michigan had five student-athletes post double-digit scoring performances with Raven Lee (Detroit, Mich.-Romulus) registering a team-best 17 points while dropping in nine free throws and dishing out five assists in his first game of the 2015-16 season. Thompson put together another dominant performance, dropping 16 points, tying his career-best with 15 rebounds, while knocking down 8-of-13 shots. Tim Bond (Baltimore, Md.-City College) poured in 13 points, while Brandon Nazione (Howell, Mich.-Howell) added 12 more to go along with seven boards. In addition, Jodan Price (Indianapolis, Ind.-Detroit Country Day) knocked down three triples en route to a 10-point performance. In total, the Green and White shot at a 39.1 percent clip, while knocking down 36.4 percent of its triple tries.

Tre'Shawn Thurman led the Mavericks with 25 points, while Devin Patterson and Jake White added 16 and 14 points, respectively. Both Thurman and White delivered double-doubles with 11 and 12 rebounds. The Green and White held Omaha to a 37.1 shooting percentage and just a 23.5 three-point percentage. EMU forced ONU into 16 turnovers in the victory.

The Eagles opened up by scoring the first four points of the game in the first minute and a half, but Omaha did not let that deter its offense, taking its first lead at 5-4 with 16:15 left in the opening stanza. Lee stepped foot on the game floor for the first time this season with 15:01 on the clock, prompting Eastern and the Mavericks to trade blows for much of the first half, before Lee dished out a pair of assists on back-to-back trips down the floor as Price and Bond each tripled to put the Eagles ahead, 20-14, with 11:12 remaining.

Again back-and-forth buckets saw the Green and White leading by six, 26-20, but with 8:19 on the clock a three-point shot from Lee sparked an 18-3 run over a nearly six minute span to jump out to its largest lead of the game, 42-23, with 2:05 left in the half. A pair of free throws with just over a minute remaining closed out the scoring for the first 20 minutes of play as Omaha's Patterson brought the Mavericks within 17, 42-25, heading into the break.

In the first half, the Eagles outshot Omaha, connecting at a 39.5 percent clip, while the Mavericks knocked down just 31 percent of its shot attempts. Lee led the scoring charge with 11 points, including a pair of three-balls, while dishing out four assists. In addition Thompson posted a first half double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, hitting on five of his seven field goal attempts. Omaha's Thurman led the Mavericks with 13 points and eight rebounds, knocking down six-of-nine shot opportunities.

Omaha jumped back into the game outscoring the Eagles by seven points in the first four minutes of the second half, bringing the game to within 10, 48-38, with 14:52 minutes left in the game. The Eagles responded with five straight points, grabbing a 15-point, 53-38, advantage with 13:05 left.

Eastern and Omaha traded buckets, until a 5-0 Maverick run brought ONU within 10 again, 60-50, at the nine minute mark. Eastern and Omaha continued to throw punches but the Eagles were able to maintain a double-figure lead until six-straight points from the Mavericks made it a 73-67 EMU lead. Eastern pushed the lead back out to 10 and held on through the final minutes until walking off the court with an 80-73 victory for the Eagles' first road win of the 2015-16 campaign.

The Eagles will remain on the road Saturday, Dec. 5, when they square off with Big Ten Conference opponent Penn State University at the Bryce Jordan Center. Tipoff is slated for noon and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.

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Team Stats

Ray Lee

James Thompson IV

Tim Bond

Brandon Nazione

Players Mentioned

Tim Bond

Ray Lee

Brandon Nazione

Jodan Price

James Thompson IV

Players Mentioned

Tim Bond

Ray Lee

Brandon Nazione

Jodan Price

James Thompson IV

Eastern Michigan Athletics