Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, February 18
Convocation Center
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
15-11 (5-8MAC)
70
vs
49
Kent State
17-9 (7-6MAC)
1
2
F
Kent State
28
21
49
Eastern Michigan
30
40
70
Eastern Michigan Rolls Past Kent State, 70-49
2/18/2020 10:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Eagles grab their third straight MAC victory, and fifth in their last six games
Photo Gallery | Press Conference
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team dropped Kent State University to pick up its third-straight Mid-American Conference victory tonight, Feb. 18, inside the Convocation Center. Although the game was nearly even at halftime, the Eagles (15-11, 5-8 MAC) elevated their play in the second period to overpower the Golden Flashes (17-9, 7-6 MAC), 70-49. Since starting out 0-7 in conference play, the Green and White have gone on a 5-1 tear with their only loss coming to Akron by one point, 59-58, Feb. 8.
Junior Thomas Binelli (Bologna, Italy-Bergen Catholic (Monroe College)) opened up the game scoring a three-pointer on the Eagles' first possession. Binelli scored from deep once more at the 15:53 mark to create a six-point lead for EMU. After trailing by as much as nine points, Kent State took advantage of an Eastern Michigan cold stretch to notch the game at 24 with three minutes left in the first half.
Physical play defined the waning minutes of the first half, highlighted by junior Darion Spottsville (Phoenix, Ariz.-Shadow Mountain (Shadow Mountain C.C.)) drawing a charge and redshirt junior Ty Groce (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Lincoln) blocking a Golden Flash barreling down the lane. Despite a 1:39 scoring drought, Eastern Michigan held the edge at half, 30-28.
Spottsville was productive in the opening five minutes of second half action grabbing an offensive board, crossing over defenders, and finding redshirt senior Boubacar Toure (Dakar, Senegal-Phase One Academy (Grand Canyon)) for the alley-oop. The Green and White built an 11-point cushion halfway through the second, their biggest lead of the game. Eastern continued to stifle Kent State, holding the Golden Flashes scoreless during a seven-minute stanza. Groce was incredibly efficient in the second half dropping 13 points, hitting four out of his last five attempts from the field.
Groce finished the night with 15 points and nine rebounds, tying Toure for the most boards by an Eagle in the contest. Toure scored ten points marking his fourth-straight game registering double-digits. Binelli ended up with three made baskets from beyond-the-arc and was flawless from the charity stripe (4-of-4). Spottsville shot 3-of-6 (50%) from the floor for eight points and shared the rock successfully recording three assists.
Scoring was spread out for Eastern Michigan, with an Eagle not reaching double-digits until the 5:06 mark of the final period. By the end of the night, six EMU players obtained at least seven points.
Eastern Michigan limited Kent State to its lowest field goal percentage of the season at a 29.1 clip. Previously, the Golden Flashes had been pacing the conference in the category shooting 45.3 percent from the floor. EMU out-rebounded its MAC counterparts, 39-35, and outscored them in the paint, 28-22.
The Eagles will seek their sixth conference win in their last seven games as they travel to Muncie, Ind. to square off against Ball State University at 1 p.m.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team dropped Kent State University to pick up its third-straight Mid-American Conference victory tonight, Feb. 18, inside the Convocation Center. Although the game was nearly even at halftime, the Eagles (15-11, 5-8 MAC) elevated their play in the second period to overpower the Golden Flashes (17-9, 7-6 MAC), 70-49. Since starting out 0-7 in conference play, the Green and White have gone on a 5-1 tear with their only loss coming to Akron by one point, 59-58, Feb. 8.
Junior Thomas Binelli (Bologna, Italy-Bergen Catholic (Monroe College)) opened up the game scoring a three-pointer on the Eagles' first possession. Binelli scored from deep once more at the 15:53 mark to create a six-point lead for EMU. After trailing by as much as nine points, Kent State took advantage of an Eastern Michigan cold stretch to notch the game at 24 with three minutes left in the first half.
Physical play defined the waning minutes of the first half, highlighted by junior Darion Spottsville (Phoenix, Ariz.-Shadow Mountain (Shadow Mountain C.C.)) drawing a charge and redshirt junior Ty Groce (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Lincoln) blocking a Golden Flash barreling down the lane. Despite a 1:39 scoring drought, Eastern Michigan held the edge at half, 30-28.
Spottsville was productive in the opening five minutes of second half action grabbing an offensive board, crossing over defenders, and finding redshirt senior Boubacar Toure (Dakar, Senegal-Phase One Academy (Grand Canyon)) for the alley-oop. The Green and White built an 11-point cushion halfway through the second, their biggest lead of the game. Eastern continued to stifle Kent State, holding the Golden Flashes scoreless during a seven-minute stanza. Groce was incredibly efficient in the second half dropping 13 points, hitting four out of his last five attempts from the field.
Groce finished the night with 15 points and nine rebounds, tying Toure for the most boards by an Eagle in the contest. Toure scored ten points marking his fourth-straight game registering double-digits. Binelli ended up with three made baskets from beyond-the-arc and was flawless from the charity stripe (4-of-4). Spottsville shot 3-of-6 (50%) from the floor for eight points and shared the rock successfully recording three assists.
Scoring was spread out for Eastern Michigan, with an Eagle not reaching double-digits until the 5:06 mark of the final period. By the end of the night, six EMU players obtained at least seven points.
Eastern Michigan limited Kent State to its lowest field goal percentage of the season at a 29.1 clip. Previously, the Golden Flashes had been pacing the conference in the category shooting 45.3 percent from the floor. EMU out-rebounded its MAC counterparts, 39-35, and outscored them in the paint, 28-22.
The Eagles will seek their sixth conference win in their last seven games as they travel to Muncie, Ind. to square off against Ball State University at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
KENT
EMU
FG%
.291
.500
3FG%
.161
.286
FT%
.600
.645
RB
35
39
TO
16
16
STL
2
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
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