EMU Hoops Falls Short in MAC Semifinal to Toledo, 64-63

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CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The No. 3-seeded Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team fell just shy of reaching the 2018 Mid-American Conference Championship game, coming up short in the final seconds, 64-63, to No. 2-seeded University of Toledo Friday evening, March 9, at Quicken Loans Arena.

EMU (21-11, 11-7 MAC) got a layup with 21 seconds left to go up by two points, but Toledo (22-10, 13-5 MAC) hit a three pointer with just nine ticks on the clock, and EMU's attempt on the other end missed, sending the Eagles home with the crushing one-point defeat.

Eastern shot 38 percent (26-of-67) from the field, and a solid 42 percent (9-of-21) from three, but Toledo matched them with a 39 percent field goal percentage (24-of-61) while the difference maker was UT's 54 percent three point percentage (12-of-22), including two clutch threes within the final minute of play.

Leading the Eagles' attack was redshirt junior Paul Jackson (Stone Mountain, Ga.-Martin Luther King (Eastern Kentucky)) who finished with a team-high 26 points on a career-best four three pointers, as well as five assists. Redshirt junior Elijah Minnie (Pittsburgh, Pa.-Lincoln Park (Robert Morris)) also ended his day in double figures with 13 points, to go along with three blocks and three steals, while freshman Kevin McAdoo (West Bloomfield, Mich.-West Bloomfield) was the third Eagle with double-digit points with 10.

For the second straight game, the Eagles came out of the gates slow, shooting just 33-percent (12-36) in the first half, while the Rockets put together a 41-percent (11-of-27) showing. Even though Eastern shot a respectable 40-percent (4-of-10) from beyond the three-point line, Toledo made its money from downtown, shooting an eye-popping 58-percent (7-of-12). Despite the disparity, a Minnie three pointer before the buzzer sent both teams into the locker room with a three-point deficit, 31-28.

In the second half, Toledo raced out to a seven-point advantage, but EMU responded with a 10-0 run to leap ahead, 41-37 at the first media. After that, both teams never got ahead by more than five, setting up the pulse-pounding final minute. With EMU up three, Toledo's Marreon Jackson hit a three ball to tie the game at 61-all.

Following dueling timeouts, Jackson drove the lane and laid it in to lead, but coming down the other end, Marreon Jackson hit another clutch long-ball to get back ahead, 64-63. With time winding down, McAdoo had a layup attempt rim out, and time expired before another attempt could be made.

Eastern Michigan's season is not done yet, as they await the announcement of its postseason destiny. Stay tuned to EMUEagles.com as well as the Eagles' Twitter (@EMUHoops) and Facebook (@EMUHoops) for full details.

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Team Stats

Paul Jackson

Elijah Minnie

Kevin McAdoo

James Thompson IV

Players Mentioned

Paul Jackson

Kevin McAdoo

Elijah Minnie

Players Mentioned

Paul Jackson

Kevin McAdoo

Elijah Minnie

Eastern Michigan Athletics