YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Trailing by double-digits with fewer than five minutes left in regulation, Eastern Michigan rallied to earn a 67-63 Senior Day-win over Central Michigan Saturday inside the Convocation Center.
The Eagles (16-13, 6-10 MAC) trailed 61-51 with 5:16 remaining in regulation but . . .
The Eagles (16-13, 6-10 MAC) trailed 61-51 with 5:16 remaining in regulation but . . .
. . . wrapped up the contest on a 16-2 run to stun the Chippewas (13-16, 6-10 MAC).
Redshirt junior Ty Groce split a pair of attempts from the free-throw line, before junior Yeikson Montero knocked down back-to-back triples to slice CMU's lead to 61-58 with 2:28 to go in the second half.
After the visitors burned a 30-second timeout, freshman Chris James stole an inbound pass and added a two-handed slam to make it a one-point game with 2:02 on the clock.
On EMU's next offensive series, junior Thomas Binelli set up redshirt senior Boubacar Toure, who drew contact on his two-handed dunk to give the Green and White a 62-61 edge with 1:14 left in the second half. Toure went on to complete the old-fashioned, three-point play to extend the lead to 63-61.
Although CMU senior Rob Montgomery went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe to knot the score at 63 apiece with 58.7 seconds remaining, Toure answered with a pair of free throws to restore the Eagles' two-point lead with 45.3 ticks left in regulation.
The Green and White got a crucial defensive stop, as Binelli pulled down the defensive rebound and made the front end of a 1-and-1 with 16 seconds on the clock. Binelli proceeded to put the game beyond any doubt when he stole David DiLeo's pass at the top of the key and subsequently tacked on another free throw to give EMU a 67-63 victory over its intrastate rival.
Toure concluded his final regular-season home game with 13 points and a team-high 14 rebounds for his 20th double-double as an Eagle, while setting a career-high with five blocks. Montero paced EMU with 17 points, matching a career-high with five triples, while tying for the team lead with three steals. Groce also reached double-digits in points, ending the afternoon with 14 points, while adding six boards, three steals, and a trio of assists.
EMU finished the afternoon with a 40.7 (22-of-54) field-goal percentage, while CMU (13-16, 6-10 MAC) went 40.4 percent (23-of-57) from the floor. The Eagles also bested the Chippewas in the paint, 34-22, and tallied more blocks (6-1), fast-break points (6-0), and steals (10-6).
Jarron Coleman led Ball State with 18 points, while Ishmael El-Amin added 10.
FIRST HALF
Spottsville spilt a pair of free throws to put the Eagles on the board, before Montero knocked down a corner three to give EMU its first lead of the game, 4-2, with 17:31 to go in the first.
The Chippewas responded with a layup to even the score at four apiece, but Groce then tapped in his own rebound to put the Green and White back in front by a pair at the first media stoppage. However, the rest of the first half proved to be a challenge for the home squad, which trailed by as many as 14 in the opening frame and took a 33-24 deficit into the locker room.
SECOND PERIOD
The Eagles fell behind 41-30 early in the second half, but held CMU without a field goal for more than six minutes. Groce made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe, before junior Jalen King and Groce made back-to-back layups to close the gap to 41-35 with 13:35 remaining in regulation.
Junior Chris Barnes then added a fast-break lay-up, and freshman Shamar Dillard made it a three-point contest with 11:04 left. The Chippewas scored eight unanswered points to open up a 51-40 cushion, but the Eagles eventually rallied to complete their comeback bid and win for the fifth time in their last six games inside the Convocation Center.
Redshirt junior Ty Groce split a pair of attempts from the free-throw line, before junior Yeikson Montero knocked down back-to-back triples to slice CMU's lead to 61-58 with 2:28 to go in the second half.
After the visitors burned a 30-second timeout, freshman Chris James stole an inbound pass and added a two-handed slam to make it a one-point game with 2:02 on the clock.
On EMU's next offensive series, junior Thomas Binelli set up redshirt senior Boubacar Toure, who drew contact on his two-handed dunk to give the Green and White a 62-61 edge with 1:14 left in the second half. Toure went on to complete the old-fashioned, three-point play to extend the lead to 63-61.
Although CMU senior Rob Montgomery went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe to knot the score at 63 apiece with 58.7 seconds remaining, Toure answered with a pair of free throws to restore the Eagles' two-point lead with 45.3 ticks left in regulation.
The Green and White got a crucial defensive stop, as Binelli pulled down the defensive rebound and made the front end of a 1-and-1 with 16 seconds on the clock. Binelli proceeded to put the game beyond any doubt when he stole David DiLeo's pass at the top of the key and subsequently tacked on another free throw to give EMU a 67-63 victory over its intrastate rival.
Toure concluded his final regular-season home game with 13 points and a team-high 14 rebounds for his 20th double-double as an Eagle, while setting a career-high with five blocks. Montero paced EMU with 17 points, matching a career-high with five triples, while tying for the team lead with three steals. Groce also reached double-digits in points, ending the afternoon with 14 points, while adding six boards, three steals, and a trio of assists.
EMU finished the afternoon with a 40.7 (22-of-54) field-goal percentage, while CMU (13-16, 6-10 MAC) went 40.4 percent (23-of-57) from the floor. The Eagles also bested the Chippewas in the paint, 34-22, and tallied more blocks (6-1), fast-break points (6-0), and steals (10-6).
Jarron Coleman led Ball State with 18 points, while Ishmael El-Amin added 10.
FIRST HALF
Spottsville spilt a pair of free throws to put the Eagles on the board, before Montero knocked down a corner three to give EMU its first lead of the game, 4-2, with 17:31 to go in the first.
The Chippewas responded with a layup to even the score at four apiece, but Groce then tapped in his own rebound to put the Green and White back in front by a pair at the first media stoppage. However, the rest of the first half proved to be a challenge for the home squad, which trailed by as many as 14 in the opening frame and took a 33-24 deficit into the locker room.
SECOND PERIOD
The Eagles fell behind 41-30 early in the second half, but held CMU without a field goal for more than six minutes. Groce made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe, before junior Jalen King and Groce made back-to-back layups to close the gap to 41-35 with 13:35 remaining in regulation.
Junior Chris Barnes then added a fast-break lay-up, and freshman Shamar Dillard made it a three-point contest with 11:04 left. The Chippewas scored eight unanswered points to open up a 51-40 cushion, but the Eagles eventually rallied to complete their comeback bid and win for the fifth time in their last six games inside the Convocation Center.
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