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Drummond nets 20 as Rockets down NIU

1/31/2015

DeKALB, IL – Toledo led wire-to-wire on Saturday evening as it notched an 80-69 road victory over Northern Illinois. The victory kept the Rockets (13-8, 5-3 MAC) in a tie for first place in the MAC’s West Division with Central Michigan (15-4, 5-3 MAC).

Senior guard Justin Drummond paced the Rockets with a season-high 20 points and was a perfect 12-of-12 from the charity stripe. Also scoring in double figures was senior guard Julius Brown (16 pts.), junior center Nathan Boothe (13 pts.) and sophomore guard Jonathan Williams (11 pts.).

Darrell Bowie led NIU with 18 points. He was followed by Aaric Armstead with 154points and Anthony Johnson with 12.

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Ford, Bulls roll past Kent State

1/31/2015

BUFFALO, NY – Playing in front of the largest crowd at Alumni Arena in over four years, the Buffalo Bulls rolled to an 80-55 win over Kent State Friday at Alumni Arena. The attendance of 5,797 was the largest to see a UB game since December 30, 2010 against #16 BYU.

With the win, the Bulls improved to 8-0 at Alumni Arena as well as 14-6 on the season and 5-3 in MAC play. Kent State, winner of six straight entering Friday’s matchup, fell to 16-6, 6-2 MAC. It remained one-half game in front of second-place Bowling Green and Akron entering Saturday’s action. Buffalo is one game back in the MAC East standings.

Kent State scored the first six points of the game, but UB senior Xavier Ford then ignited a 17-2 run over the next six minutes. Ford and sophomore Shannon Evans combined to score the first 12 Buffalo points, and the Bulls never trailed again. Kent State pulled within four at 19-15, but UB answered with 20-5 burst to establish a 39-20 with 3:19 left.

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Eastern Michigan pounds Bobcats

1/28/2015

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com/MRO Edit) – The Eastern Michigan Eagles led for 39 of the 40 minutes in a dominating 76-40 victory over Ohio University Tuesday night at the Convocation Center. With their Mid-American Conference win, the Eagles improved to 13-7 (2-5 MAC) on the 2014-15 campaign. Ohio fell to 7-11 overall (2-5 MAC).

Tuesday’s lopsided victory was EMU’s largest since it cruised to a 104-67 decision over Central Michigan University 18 years ago (Jan. 8, 1997).

Behind an impressive defensive display, Eastern held Ohio (7-11, 2-5 MAC) to its lowest point total since March 14, 1985, when the Bobcats fell to Kansas, 49-38, in the NCAA Midwest Regional.

Eleven Eagles scored in the onslaught, led by Ravel Lee’s 19 points. Joining him in double figures were Mike Talley (16) and Karrington Ward (12).

Eastern found success on offense, sinking 32-of-64 from the floor. The Eagles' defense, meanwhile, forced 18 Ohio turnovers and converted them into 24 points. EMU also dominated the paint, 44-18, and pushed the ball for a 24-2 advantage in fast break points.

Antonio Campbell posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Bobcats in their setback. OU only made 22.8 percent of its shots from the field (13-of-57), including just 2-of-19 from beyond the arc. Ohio made nearly as many free throws as it did field goals, sinking 12-of-17 from the charity stripe.

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Late run sends Falcons past NIU

1/28/2015

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green Falcons used a 16-2 run late in the contest post a 56-46 home win over Northern Illinois Tuesday night in the Stroh Center.

BGSU held the Huskies to only 10-of-27 (37 percent) shooting in the second half, including 2-of-8 (25 percent) from behind the three-point line. For their part, the Falcons shot 11-of-24 (45.8 percent) and 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) from long range over the final 20 minutes of play to pull away with the 10-point victory.

With the decision, BGSU moves to 13-5 overall and 5-2 in MAC play with its ninth home win of the season. The 13 wins surpass the Falcons win total of all of last season. Northern Illinois fell to 8-10 overall and 2-5 in the MAC.
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Zips make it 12-straight over BSU

1/28/2015

AKRON, Ohio -- Pat Forsythe scored a career-high 17 points, adding five rebounds and two blocked shots as the Akron Zips registered a 59-47 win over Ball State Tuesday at James A. Rhodes Arena. The victory was UA’s 12th straight against BSU.

Akron (14-6, 5-2 MAC) struggled to shoot the ball in the first half, connecting on just 33.3 percent (9-of-27), but found its rhythm in the second half. The Zips shot 50.0 percent (14-of-28) from the field over the final 20 minutes.

Ball State (7-11, 2-5 MAC) also could not get anything going in the first stanza, shooting 30.8 percent (8-of-26) from the field. The Cardinals connected on 45.5 percent (10-of-22) in the second half.

Forsythe’s 17 points led all players. Deji Ibitayo added nine points, three rebounds and two steals. Aaron Jackson came off the bench to score seven points and grab three rebounds.

Bo Calhoun led the way for the Cardinals with a double-double (14 points,12 rebounds). Rocco Belcaster chipped in nine points.

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Bulls take advantage of WMU turnovers

1/28/2015

BUFFALO, NY – Behind a defensive performance that forced 18 turnovers, the Buffalo Bulls snapped a two-game losing streak by defeating Western Michigan, 77-71, Tuesday night at Alumni Arena. The win improves the Bulls to 13-6 on the year and 4-3 in MAC play. Western Michigan dropped to 13-7, 4-3 MAC.

The Bulls struggled from three-point range in the first half, while Western Michigan hit seven first-half three pointers. However, UB was able to use a stifling defense that forced 10 turnovers during the opening half of play, which prevented Western Michigan from taking any more than a five-point lead.

UB on the other hand, led by six points early in the game as a fast break dunk from Xavier Ford gave the Bulls a quick 14-8 lead. Western Michigan took a 30-25 lead on a three pointer from David Brown with 4:35 left.
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Flashes ‘D’ denies the three in win over CMU

1/28/2015

By EVAN MEYER
KENT, OHIO – The Kent State Golden Flashes used a 19-2 run early in the second half, combined with a stifling defense, to defeat the Central Michigan Chippewas 63-53 Tuesday night at the MAC Center.

For Kent State (15-5, 6-1 MAC), it was a sixth consecutive victory after dropping its conference opener to Bowling Green. In addition, the six-game win streak is their longest since a six-game skein from November 17- December 1, 2013.

“A great win for us tonight.” KSU head coach Rob Senderoff said. “They (CMU) are an explosive offensive team. We guarded for 40 minutes. We made just enough plays and (it was) a great job by everybody.”
Seniors Devareaux Manley and Kris Brewer paced KSU with 16 points each. Sophomore Jimmy Hall had 15 while pulling down 15 rebounds.

Central Michigan (14-4, 4-3 MAC) saw its two-game winning streak come to an end while setting a season low in points scored. The Chippewas were a remarkable 30 points below their seasonal average.

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Rockets hold off Miami challenge

1/28/2015

By MIKE SMITH
TOLEDO, Ohio -- Sophomore guard Jonathan Williams led the way with a game-high 18 points, including the tilt’s final five, as the Toledo Rockets pulled out a 70-65 win over visiting Miami Wednesday at Savage Arena.

The RedHawks trailed 34-27 at the half and by 10 points twice early in the second period before rallying. A 13-3 run allowed MU to pull even with the hosts at 44-all following three free throws by Willie Moore at 15:05.

Senior guard Julius Brown, who went scoreless before intermission, came alive later in the second stanza. Starting midway through the period, Brown accounted for 11-straight Toledo points. When Chris Bryant tallied on a layup to tie things at 57-all, Brown scored the next six points in an 8-0 Rocket burst. Four of Brown’s points came at the line. Overall, he hit 7-of-8 from the stripe on the way to 13 points for the evening.
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MAC announces POTW

1/27/2015

The Mid-American Conference has announced its MAC Men’s Basketball Players of the Week. Central Michigan forward John Simons (West) and Ohio forward Maurice Ndour (East) earned honors in their respective divisions.

MAC Men's Basketball West Division Player of the Week
John Simons, Central Michigan, Forward
Junior, Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac
Simons contributed standout performances in leading Central Michigan to two pivotal conference wins, the only MAC West team to go undefeated last week. In the Chippewas' 84-73 victory over then-MAC East leader Buffalo, Simons, the nation's top 3-point shooting forward, helped break down the conference's No. 2-ranked 3-point defensive team, draining five of CMU's 16 total triples. In addition to his 15 points, Simons matched the MAC's top rebounder, UB's Justin Moss, board-for-board, recording nine. In CMU's 65-51 win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Simons led the Chippewas with 15 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists and a block. Simons, who has started all 17 games this season and all 79 of his career, is CMU's top rebounder (6.0 rpg) and is the second leading scorer on the nation's No. 2 offense, averaging 11.3 points per game. He also ranks first in the MAC in 3-point field goal percentage (.489) and is fifth in field goal percentage (.531).

MAC Men's Basketball East Division Player of the Week
Maurice Ndour, Ohio, F
Sr., Mbour, Senegal/Okayama Gakugeikan
Ndour helped the Ohio men's basketball team (7-10, 2-4 MAC) pick up its first two victories of the 2015 Mid-American Conference season last week, leading the Bobcats with averages of 24.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 8.0 field goals made and 7.0 free throws made as well as a field goal percentage of .640 (16-25) and a free throw percentage of .824 (14-17). He also ranked second on the squad with an average of 1.5 steals and third with an average of 2.0 assists.

Behind a last-second dunk and a career-high 31 points from Ndour, Ohio men's basketball team emerged victorious in dramatic fashion against MAC East Division rival Buffalo, 63-61, on Saturday (Jan. 24) at the Convocation Center. In addition to his career-high scoring output, Ndour added six rebounds, three blocks and a steal. He went 10-of-15 from the field and a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe -- a career best.

That performance came after he chipped in 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds to go along with three assists, two steals and a block in 33 minutes in an 82-73 win on the road at MAC West foe Ball State on Wednesday (Jan. 21) at Worten Arena. He went 5-of-7 from the field in the second half, totaling 11 points. Ndour is the only player on the team to start all 17 games this season for Ohio, leading the team lead with averages of 16.0 points (sixth in the MAC; 272), 5.5 field goals made (94), 8.4 rebounds (second in the MAC; 143), 2.2 blocks (second in the MAC; 37), 5.8 free throw attempts (98), 4.5 free throws made (77) and 33.6 minutes played (571). He also ranks second on the team with 11.9 field goal attempts (202), 1.1 steals (18) and a .786 free throw percentage (77-98) and ranks third with 1.8 assists per game (30).

Ndour leads the team with 17.7 points per game (106), 8.7 rebounds per game (52) and 2.8 blocks per game (17) in conference play while ranking second with 1.2 steals (7) and third with 1.5 assists (9). Ndour reached double figures in points for the ninth game in a row, 12th time in the last 13 games, a team-high 15th time this season and 40th time in his career against Buffalo. He has led the team in scoring on seven occassions in 2014-15. Ndour has either reached or surpassed the 20-point mark four times this season. He has tallied three or more blocks five times this season.
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Ndour keys Bobcat win over Buffalo

1/25/2015

ATHENS, OH – Ohio senior Maurice Ndour capped off a 31-point afternoon by scoring the game-winning basket with one second left as the host Bobcats defeated the Buffalo Bulls, 63-61, Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.

Ndour’s big day included a 10-for-10 performance at the charity stripe. Ryan Taylor added 12 points and Antonio Campbell led all players with 10 rebounds as Ohio recorded its second straight win after dropping its first four MAC outings.

Buffalo (12-6, 3-3 MAC) fell for the second consecutive game – the first time this season that the Bulls have dropped to in a row.

Buffalo was led by 11 points each from Justin Moss and Xavier Ford. Junior Raheem Johnson finished with a career-high 10 points, all coming in the second half, before he fouled out of the contest. Wigginton added eight points and tied Moss with seven rebounds, good for team-high honors.

Sophomore Shannon Evans added eight points, while Lamonte Bearden finished with seven points and Skeete added six on a pair of three pointers.
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CMU wins ‘Big O’ vs Big D’ battle; downs EMU

1/25/2015

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The storyline coming in was the matchup of Central Michigan's offense against Eastern Michigan's unique, confounding and oh-so-stingy zone defense.

Central Michigan’s offense prevailed Saturday as CMU posted a 65-51 Mid-American Conference men's basketball victory before more than 4,000 fans at McGuirk Arena.

"There's a lot that you've seen about us being ranked nationally in a lot of different offensive categories," said CMU coach Keno Davis, whose team improved to 14-3, 4-2 MAC, "and some nights when we're shooting the way we've been able to, that stands out.

"But I think really the story of this year's team has been in going from a poor defensive team last year to a much-improved defensive team. Doesn't mean we're a great defensive team, but we do show signs of being able to be a lock-down defensive team and a rebounding team."

The Chippewas also showed they can grind it out if needed.

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Late free throws send Akron past Broncos

1/25/2015

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Isaiah Johnson hit four late free throws and the Akron defense stopped Western Michigan on its final possession to give the Zips a 71-69 win on Saturday afternoon at University Arena.

Johnson, making his first start of the year, sank two free throws on a 1-and-1 to put the Zips up one with 1:05 to go. With the game tied at 69-all and 27.3 remaining, he pushed Akron on top for good with two more freebies.

The win snapped an eight-game road losing streak for Akron (13-6, 4-2 MAC) and gave the Zips a season sweep of Western Michigan (13-6, 4-2 MAC).

Johnson led the Zips with a career-high 16 points to go with a game-high eight rebounds.Noah Robotham was the only other Zip in double figures (12).

Taylor Petty came off the bench for 17 points to pace WMU. Tucker Haymond (14) and David Brown (13) also reached double figures.

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Huge night for Hall sends KSU past Cardinals

1/25/2015

MUNCIE, Ind. – A career day from Jimmy Hall helped Kent State extend a four-game winning streak with a 63-52 win over Ball State on Saturday at Worthen Arena. .
Hall exploded for 32 points on 14-of-17 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds as the Golden Flashes extended their run of victories over Ball State to 11 games dating back to Jan. 22, 2005.

With their win, the Flashes improved to 14-5 overall and 5-1 in the Mid-American Conference and remained in first place in the East Division. Ball State slipped to 7-10 overall, 2-4 MAC.

"Jimmy was just unstoppable, and I continued to be really pleased with our defense," said Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff. "One of the keys to this stretch is the way we have been defending the three, and today we allowed a very good three-point shooting team to shoot just 4-of-17 (23 percent) from behind the arc."

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Rockets edge BGSU before sellout crowd

1/25/2015

TOLEDO, Oh -- Senior guard Julius Brown tallied a game-high 28 points, including four free throws in the final 18 seconds, to give Toledo a 71-67 win over arch-rival Bowling Green Saturday at Savage Arena.

A sell-out crowd of 7, 392 – the largest since a 2008 renovation -- looked on as UT notched its fourth straight victory over the Falcons. The Rockets’ victory broke a two-game losing streak for UT (11-8, 3-3- MAC) and two-game winning streak for Bowling Green (12-5, 4-2 MAC).

Brown finished 8-for-15 from the floor, including three treys, and 9-for-10 from the foul line. Senior guard Justin Drummond contributed 18 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while junior center Nathan Boothe added 12 points and six boards. Senior forward J.D. Weatherspoon, UT’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, tallied just one point and five boards in 20 minutes due to foul trouble.

Senior forward Richaun Holmes paced the Falcons (12-5, 4-2 MAC) with 14 points, while junior guard Jovan Austin came off the bench to add 13 points and a game-high five assists in 27 minutes.

The back-and-forth contest featured 17 lead changes and six occasions when the score was tied.
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RedHawks notch first road, edge NIU

1/25/2015

By MIKE SMITH
DEKALB, Ill -- Will Sullivan provided Miami with a team-high 14 points, including four crucial free throws down the stretch, as the RedHawks edged Northern Illinois 60-55 in Mid-American Conference action Saturday at the NIU Convocation Center.

It was Miami’s first road win of the season and just the second home loss of 2014-15 for the Huskies.

Northern Illinois (8-9, 2-4 MAC) was coming off a big 64-61 win over Akron in mid-week action. But the Huskies hit 51.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from distance in that game. At the same time, they held Akron to 36.7 percent overall and 32 percent (9-of-28) on threes.

It was a much different story against MU. While the RedHawks were a pedestrian 38.5 (5-of-13) from behind the arc, they made 21-of-43 (48.8 percent) overall.

Moreover, NIU slipped to 33.3 percent (17-of-51) from the field and a frustrating 16.7 percent on treys after launching 30 and making just five.
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<<Previous

Drummond nets 20 as Rockets down NIU

Ford, Bulls roll past Kent State

Eastern Michigan pounds Bobcats

Late run sends Falcons past NIU

Zips make it 12-straight over BSU

Bulls take advantage of WMU turnovers

Flashes ‘D’ denies the three in win over CMU

Rockets hold off Miami challenge

MAC announces POTW

Ndour keys Bobcat win over Buffalo

CMU wins ‘Big O’ vs Big D’ battle; downs EMU

Late free throws send Akron past Broncos

Huge night for Hall sends KSU past Cardinals

Rockets edge BGSU before sellout crowd

RedHawks notch first road, edge NIU

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