Eastern Michigan Athletics
Thursday, March 12
Cleveland, Ohio
6:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
21-13
67
vs
78
Toledo
20-12
1
2
F
Eastern Michigan
29
38
67
Toledo
38
40
78
Photo by: Scott W. Grau/Icon SMI
Eagles Fall, 78-67, to Toledo in MAC Quarterfinals
3/12/2015 9:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eastern fell after making it to the quarterfinals for the third-straight year
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team dropped its quarterfinal matchup of the 2015 Mid-American Conference Tournament with the University of Toledo, March 12, inside Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The Rockets (20-12) avenged a 26-point loss at the Convocation Center a week ago, defeating the Eagles (23-12) by a final score of 78-67 to advance to the MAC Tournament Semifinals where they will face the top-seeded Central Michigan University Chippewas.
The Green and White were led in scoring once again by Raven Lee (Detroit, Mich.-Romulus) who finished with 16 points after scoring 27 against Bowling Green and the second round, March 11. Mike Talley (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale ABT (Duquesne) and Karrington Ward (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township (Morain Valley C.C.)) each netted 12 points. Talley added six rebounds, five assists, and two steals to his performance as well. Tim Bond (Baltimore, Md.-City College High School) tallied eight points, including a pair of triples. Nathan Boothe scored a game-high 20 points to pace the Rockets. J.D. Weatherspoon was a force down low for Toledo, posting 13 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocks.
The Rockets shot 48.3 percent (29-for-60) compared to just 37.5 percent (24-for-64) for the Eagles. UT won the rebounding battle as well (44-33) and controlled the paint, scoring 36 points while Eastern managed 24 points in the paint. EMU scored 11 points off of 12 Rocket turnovers, while only coughing the ball up eight times. It was the fourth straight game that the Green and White kept the turnovers in single-digits.
The Rockets jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, but back-to-back layups from Lee and Ward knotted the score at four apiece. The teams traded buckets until the first media timeout, keeping the game tied, 8-8.
Toledo came out of the first media timeout scoring the first five points, including a Boothe three-point play and Weatherspoon slam. Talley answered the mini run with his first triple of the game, but Julius Brown stepped beyond the line on the ensuing possession for a quick answer. Boothe connected on a midrange jumper the next trip down the floor to extend the Rockets lead, 18-11, forcing Head Coach Rob Murphy into taking a 30-second timeout.
After the Rockets took a nine-point lead, Bond nailed a three-pointer as the shot clock expired. Ward then converted on a layup, following a Lee steal at midcourt to cut into the Rockets lead, 22-18. Toledo extended its lead back out to nine-points, using a 7-2 run capped by another Weatherspoon flush.
Following a Anali Okoloji (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Impact Academy (George Mason)) layup, the Rockets used another run of 7-1 to take a 13-point lead, 36-23, with 4:13 to play in the opening half. The Eagles scored six of the final eight points in the first, including a pair of Talley free throws with 2.1 seconds on the clock to cut the deficit down to single digits heading into the halftime break, 38-29.
Lee and Talley led the Green and White in the opening 20 minutes, scoring nine points apiece. Lee added three rebounds and a pair of assists as well. EMU only shot 37.5 percent (12-of-32) in the first half, compared to a 50 percent (16-of-32) clip from the field for the Rockets. UT won the rebounding battle, 22-17, but both teams grabbed eight offensive rebounds which turned into nine points. Brown and Boothe paced the Rockets' offense, netting nine points. Boothe also pulled in a half-high seven boards.
EMU opened the second half, with Talley finding Ward for a baseline slam. Boothe answered on the Rockets opening possession of the half, however, knocking down a midrange jumper while getting fouled. Boothe converted the ensuing free throw to give the Rockets a double-digit lead once again, 41-31.
The Eagles pulled to within five, 45-40, using a 7-0 run capped by a Ward steal and fastbreak dunk right before the first media timeout. UT scored the next seven points to push its lead back out to 12-points, 52-40.
Lee put an end to the Rocket run, dialing in from long distance out of the second media timeout. Weatherspoon tallied the next six points for the Rockets, including a pair of emphatic dunks to open up a 58-43 lead.
The Rockets controlled the remainder of the game, leading by as many as 20 points. Jodan Price (Indianapolis, Ind.-Detroit Country Day (DePaul)), Ethan Alvano (Corona, Calif.-Corona), and Jordan Martin (Detroit, Mich.-Chandler Park Academy (Oakland C.C.)) all knocked down a three-pointer in the closing minute to make the final score 78-67.
Eastern Michigan will now wait to hear on its postseason fate. The Green and White made their third-straight appearance at The Q while also recording at least 20 wins for the third consecutive season.
The Green and White were led in scoring once again by Raven Lee (Detroit, Mich.-Romulus) who finished with 16 points after scoring 27 against Bowling Green and the second round, March 11. Mike Talley (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale ABT (Duquesne) and Karrington Ward (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township (Morain Valley C.C.)) each netted 12 points. Talley added six rebounds, five assists, and two steals to his performance as well. Tim Bond (Baltimore, Md.-City College High School) tallied eight points, including a pair of triples. Nathan Boothe scored a game-high 20 points to pace the Rockets. J.D. Weatherspoon was a force down low for Toledo, posting 13 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocks.
The Rockets shot 48.3 percent (29-for-60) compared to just 37.5 percent (24-for-64) for the Eagles. UT won the rebounding battle as well (44-33) and controlled the paint, scoring 36 points while Eastern managed 24 points in the paint. EMU scored 11 points off of 12 Rocket turnovers, while only coughing the ball up eight times. It was the fourth straight game that the Green and White kept the turnovers in single-digits.
The Rockets jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, but back-to-back layups from Lee and Ward knotted the score at four apiece. The teams traded buckets until the first media timeout, keeping the game tied, 8-8.
Toledo came out of the first media timeout scoring the first five points, including a Boothe three-point play and Weatherspoon slam. Talley answered the mini run with his first triple of the game, but Julius Brown stepped beyond the line on the ensuing possession for a quick answer. Boothe connected on a midrange jumper the next trip down the floor to extend the Rockets lead, 18-11, forcing Head Coach Rob Murphy into taking a 30-second timeout.
After the Rockets took a nine-point lead, Bond nailed a three-pointer as the shot clock expired. Ward then converted on a layup, following a Lee steal at midcourt to cut into the Rockets lead, 22-18. Toledo extended its lead back out to nine-points, using a 7-2 run capped by another Weatherspoon flush.
Following a Anali Okoloji (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Impact Academy (George Mason)) layup, the Rockets used another run of 7-1 to take a 13-point lead, 36-23, with 4:13 to play in the opening half. The Eagles scored six of the final eight points in the first, including a pair of Talley free throws with 2.1 seconds on the clock to cut the deficit down to single digits heading into the halftime break, 38-29.
Lee and Talley led the Green and White in the opening 20 minutes, scoring nine points apiece. Lee added three rebounds and a pair of assists as well. EMU only shot 37.5 percent (12-of-32) in the first half, compared to a 50 percent (16-of-32) clip from the field for the Rockets. UT won the rebounding battle, 22-17, but both teams grabbed eight offensive rebounds which turned into nine points. Brown and Boothe paced the Rockets' offense, netting nine points. Boothe also pulled in a half-high seven boards.
EMU opened the second half, with Talley finding Ward for a baseline slam. Boothe answered on the Rockets opening possession of the half, however, knocking down a midrange jumper while getting fouled. Boothe converted the ensuing free throw to give the Rockets a double-digit lead once again, 41-31.
The Eagles pulled to within five, 45-40, using a 7-0 run capped by a Ward steal and fastbreak dunk right before the first media timeout. UT scored the next seven points to push its lead back out to 12-points, 52-40.
Lee put an end to the Rocket run, dialing in from long distance out of the second media timeout. Weatherspoon tallied the next six points for the Rockets, including a pair of emphatic dunks to open up a 58-43 lead.
The Rockets controlled the remainder of the game, leading by as many as 20 points. Jodan Price (Indianapolis, Ind.-Detroit Country Day (DePaul)), Ethan Alvano (Corona, Calif.-Corona), and Jordan Martin (Detroit, Mich.-Chandler Park Academy (Oakland C.C.)) all knocked down a three-pointer in the closing minute to make the final score 78-67.
Eastern Michigan will now wait to hear on its postseason fate. The Green and White made their third-straight appearance at The Q while also recording at least 20 wins for the third consecutive season.
Team Stats
EMU
TOLEDO
FG%
.375
.483
3FG%
.286
.231
FT%
.733
.739
RB
33
44
TO
8
12
STL
7
4
Game Leaders
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
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