Trailing by 16 with 4:35 to go . . .
Four EMU players notched double-digit scoring efforts in the game, led by a career-high 25 points from Paul Jackson. James Thompson IV added 18 points and nine rebounds, while Tim Bond added 15, and Elijah Minnie had 13.
The game started sloppy for the Eagles, as they coughed up 11 first-half turnovers on just three steals for the Golden Grizzlies. EMU shot just .414 (12-of-29) from the floor in the first half compared to OU's blistering .533 (16-of-30) field goal percentage.
Eastern cleaned up its act in the second stanza, committing just two turnovers in the final 20 minutes, while forcing 10 miscues by Oakland. The Green and White shot .550 (22-of-40) from the floor in the second stanza, including a 10-for-10 stretch that fueled the comeback.
For the game, Eastern Michigan was edged in overall shooting percentage, .509 to .493, outrebounded 36 to 29, and attempted 13 fewer free throws.
The Golden Grizzlies connected on 91.3 (21-of-23) percent of its trips to the charity stripe, while the Eagles made 80 (8-of-10) of theirs. EMU once again dominated points in the paint, outscoring OU 50-30, while also holding the edge in points off turnovers, 29-15.
Eastern Michigan finishes its three-game road trip by traveling to Syracuse University for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Orange, Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.