Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
4-16,1-6MAC
Toledo
14-6,5-2MAC
Bates Drops 43 as Eagles Fall at Toledo
1/24/2023 9:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Sophomore drained nine triples to record the sixth-best scoring performance in the NCAA this year
Photo Gallery.
TOLEDO, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- Emoni Bates (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Ypsi Prep-Memphis) scored 43 points, but the Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team fell to the University of Toledo Rockets, 84-79, on the road Tuesday inside Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio.
Bates added seven rebounds to his 43-point game to lead the Eagles (4-16, 1-6 MAC). With his point total, Bates recorded the sixth-highest point total in a game nationally this season and the most in the MAC, surpassing his own game high of 36 he scored at the University of South Carolina, Dec. 30. The 16th different player to score 40 points this year nationally, Bates' 43 points rank as the ninth-most in a single game in program history. Additionally, Bates, who scored 27-consecutive points in the first half, drained nine three-point baskets, tied for the second-most in a game in program history and ninth-most in a game this year nationally.
Noah Farrakhan (Hillside, N.J.-The Patrick School-East Carolina) helped out with 14 points, nine rebounds, and five assists and Jalin Billingsley (Cleveland, Ohio-Lutheran East-Georgetown) chipped in with six points and career-high three blocks.
The Eastern Michigan offense made hay from beyond the arc, pouring in 11 threes on 26 attempts. Bates hit nine treys for the Eagles in the contest.
How It Happened
After falling behind, 17-12, Eastern Michigan went on a 6-0 run with 11:23 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Bates, to take an 18-17 lead. The Eagles then surrendered that lead and entered halftime down, 36-35. After intermission, Eastern Michigan managed to gain control and had a 50-47 lead before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Farrakhan's jumper, to grow the lead to 57-47 with 12:08 to go in the contest. Toledo then asserted control, outscoring the Eagles, 37-22, the rest of the way to hand Eastern Michigan the 84-79 loss.
Game Notes
» Emoni Bates scored a career-high 43 points at Toledo, Jan. 24, his first career 40-point game, his third career game with 30+ points, and his first since scoring 36 at South Carolina, Dec. 30. Bates, who scored a program-record 29 points in the first half alone, including 27-consecutive points in the stanza. Bates' performance ranks as the ninth-most points scored in a game in program history and is the most by a player from the MAC this season, surpassing the 36 Bates scored earlier this year. His total also ranks as the sixth-most in a single game in the NCAA this year. His point total also ranks as the second-highest tallied in a game inside Savage Arena behind the 45 tallied by Ron Harper for Miami, March 8, 1985.
» Emoni Bates is the first Eagle to score 30+ in three games in the same season since Ricky Cottrill accomplished the feat in the 2001-02 season. Cottrill scored 31 at Akron (Jan. 7, 2002), 32 at Marshall (Jan. 12, 2002), and 33 at Northern Illinois (Jan. 26, 2002).
» In the first half, Emoni Bates scored 29 points, the most in the first half of play since 1998-99. The previous record was held by Raven Lee, who scored 27 in the first half at home against Miami, Feb. 2, 2016. Lee also scored 26 in the opening half of his 50-point game at Central Michigan, Feb. 28, 2017.
» Emoni Bates was dialed in from downtown as he finished the night with nine made threes (9-of-14), tying for the second-most in a single game in program history with both Raven Lee (Feb. 2, 2016, vs. Miami) and Derrick Dial (Jan. 5, 1998, vs. Marshall). Bates, who also now ranks tied for fifth with his eight triples at South Carolina, Dec. 30, hit for five or more triples in a game for the third time this year and eight-or-more for the second time.
» Emoni Bates drained a triple with 13:18 remaining in the opening half to help the Eagles extend their consecutive games streak to 571 in a row with at least one made triple. Eastern finished the night 11-of-26 from the beyond the arc with Bates accounting for nine of those makes. The last time Eastern failed to hit a three-point basket in a game came Jan. 24, 2004, when the Eagles were 0-of-7 at Miami.
» Noah Farrakhan finished the game with 14 points, nine rebounds, and five assists as he continued to move up the scoring charts at Eastern. With 689 points in his EMU career, Farrakhan is now tied for 72nd all-time with Al Jagutis (1967-91). Farrakhan is 11 points shy of 700 for his career, a total that would move him into the top-70.
» Noah Farrakhan recorded a season-high five assists to extend his streak to at least one assist in all 20 games he has played this year. Additionally, Farrakhan has at least one helper in 32 games in a row dating back to last year while also making it 42-of-45 games he has played at EMU and 49-of-57 in his career, including games played at East Carolina.
» Noah Farrakhan led the team with a career-high nine rebounds one game after tying his previous career best of eight boards against Northern Illinois, Jan. 21. The game at Toledo also marked the second game in a row in which Farrakhan came up just short of a double-double, which would have been the first of his career.
» Luka Savicevic earned a spot in the starting lineup for the first time this year and just the fifth time in his career after starting four times last year for the Eagles. The start also is his fourth in a MAC game after earning starts last year at Central Michigan (Feb. 15), home against Akron (Feb. 19), and at Miami (March 4). He finished with two points and one rebound.
Historical Notes
» With the loss, Eastern fell to 52-61 all-time in the series with Toledo and has lost five games in a row overall to the Rockets. The defeat also dropped the Eagles to 18-35 when playing at Toledo, where they have lost five in a row as well.
» Eastern is 0-2 on the year against teams ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 with its loss at No. 19 Toledo. The Eagles lost one week ago, Jan. 17, at home to then-No. 4 Kent State, 77-63.
Up Next
Eastern remains on the road for its next game as the Eagles travel to Oxford, Ohio, to meet the Miami University RedHawks inside Millett Hall Saturday, Jan. 28. The game, which is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. tip, will be streamed live on ESPN+ and aired live on WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app.
