Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
7-6,0-1MAC
Bowling Green
10-3,1-0MAC
Eastern Michigan Edged in Overtime by BGSU to Open MAC Play
1/2/2024 10:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Acuff scores 31 for third time this season
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team opened Mid-American Conference action, being tripped up, 92-90, by Bowling Green State University in a thrilling overtime game Tuesday, Jan. 2, inside the Stroh Center.
Junior Tyson Acuff (Detroit, Mich./Cass Technical/Duquesne) recorded his third 31-point game of the season, netting 12 points in the final 7:27 of the second half, including three field goals in half's final 94 seconds.
How It Happened
Eastern built a lead as big as 14 with 10:52 to play in the first half but settled for a 42-34 advantage after 20 minutes.
BGSU tied the game at 51-51 eight minutes into the second period as teams exchanged blows in regulation's final 12 minutes.
Sophomore Orlando Lovejoy (Detroit, Mich./Summit Academy North) converted five field goals over a five-minute stretch in the second half to keep the Eagles level with the Falcons before Acuff took over.
Acuff nailed a jumper to give EMU a one-point edge with 59 seconds left in regulation before BGSU tied the game on a free throw 10 seconds later. Acuff's lay-up put the Eagles ahead but BGSU knocked in a pair of free throws to send the game to overtime.
In overtime, freshman Arne Osojnik (Ljubljana, Slovenia/Dream City Christian) drilled a triple to put the Eagles up by one with 3:16 left in what proved to be the Eagles' final lead of the game as the Falcons soon secured the win.
Game Notes
» Eastern moved to 7-6 overall and 0-1 in MAC play while BGSU moved to 10-3 overall and 1-0 in the MAC as the Falcons have won eight-straight games.
» Eastern Michigan was 38-of-76 (50.0%) from the floor and 5-of-17 (29.4%) from three-point range while BGSU was 30-of-65 (46.2%) from the floor and 8-of-27 (29.6%) from three-point range.
» Acuff scored 31 points, his third outing of 31 points this season. Acuff is one of four players in the country with three 31-plus point performances, joining Southern Illinois University's Xavier Johnson, Denver University's Tommy Bruner, and Stetson University's Jalen Blackmon.
» Acuff's 31-point performance was his eighth game with 23-plus points this season. Acuff is one of two players in the country with eight 23-plus point performances joining Denver's Bruner.
» Acuff is approaching 1,000 career points and sits at 951 career points after his 31-point performance. Acuff netted 239 points in his two seasons at Duquesne.
» Lovejoy has four-straight games with 14-plus points. He also recorded two steals in a game for the first time this season.
» Lovejoy played a career-high 40 minutes, topping his previous mark of 38 minutes played against Northwood University, Dec. 30.
» Redshirt sophomore Legend Geeter (River Rouge, Mich./River Rouge/Providence) scored 12 points and hauled in a season-high seven rebounds. Geeter's 12 points falls one shy of his career-high 13 points set at Florida Atlantic University, Nov. 14.
» Geeter also tallied two steals for the third time this season, previously doing so at the University of Central Arkansas, Nov. 25 and at Butler University, Nov. 6.
» Redshirt junior Julius Ellerbe (Fort Washington, Md./Virginia Beach Sports Academy/East Central CC) scored eight points and secured nine rebounds. His eight points are tied for his second-highest scoring output of the season while his nine boards matched his season-high, set against Oakland University, Dec. 1, and equaled at the University of Michigan, Dec. 16.
» Redshirt junior Connor Serven (Prairie City, Ill./St. Rita/Illinois) matched his career high of seven points, which he set at University of Detroit Mercy, Nov. 21.
» EMU had four players (Acuff, 31; Lovejoy, 14; Geeter, 12; Osojnik, 11) score in double figures for the first time this season.
» EMU outscored BGSU, 52-42, in the paint, the Eagles' highest paint output of the season.
» The game was Eastern's first overtime game of the season and first since Feb. 3, 2023, a 91-90 loss at Ball State University.
» Eastern, which hit five threes against BGSU, has now hit at least one triple in 594-straight games. EMU last failed to score from downtown Jan. 24, 2004, when Miami University held the Eagles to 0-of-7 from behind the arc.
Historical Notes
» Tuesday's meeting was the 100th-ever game between Eastern Michigan and BGSU. EMU trails in the series, 43-57.
Next Up
Eastern Michigan is scheduled to play its first home MAC contest of the 2023-24 season against Kent State University, Jan. 6, after the EMU women's team takes on the University of Toledo inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center at 1 p.m. The game against the Golden Flashes will start at approximately 3:30 p.m.
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For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, continue to visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
