WESTERN MICHIGAN 71, EASTERN MICHIGAN 60
BOWLING GREEN 80, OHIO 77
AKRON 79, BALL STATE 60
TOLEDO 92, BUFFALO 76
KENT STATE 63, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 55
MIKE SMITH- MRO
MOUNT PLEASANT, MI -- Sophomore Kamari Williams scored a season- and game-high 21 points as Miami broke a three-game losing streak with a 75-61 win over Central Michigan Tuesday at McGuirk Arena.
It was the second meeting between the two teams in less than a week, with vastly different play and outcomes the second time around. Central Michigan hit 13 of 24 trey attempts (54.2%) in an 83-69 victory over MU in Oxford last Thursday. However, the Chippewas managed just 4 of 25 (16.0%) long distance makes Tuesday night.
Overall, CMU hit 10 of 56 (35.7%) from the field, while the RedHawks connected on 25 of 55 (45%). Miami also helped itself by grabbing an early lead and expanding its advantage. Central Michigan never had a lead and trailed by as many as 23 points late in the first half. Miami led 43-23 at intermission.
Free throws helped CMU close the gap and the Chippewas pulled within 10 points (52-42) following a pair ofHarrison Henderson with 10:40 left in the second stanza. However, Williams hit a pair of triples over the next couple minutes to help stem the tide. With the help of late free throws, MU finished with a 75-61 advantage.
Joining Williams in double figures for Miami was Dae Dae Grant with 19 points. No other RedHawk had more than six points, but seven players combined for 35 points.
Kevin Miller hit 7 of 15 from the field while leading CMU with 19 points. Cameron Healy, coming off a 32-point game in Central Michigan's near upset of Kent State Saturday, scored 17 points but was just 2 of 12 from outside the arc against Miami. Henderson added 14 points for the hosts.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green captured an 80-77 win over the Ohio Bobcats Tuesday night at the Stroh Center. The Falcons utilized a team approach with four players reaching double-digit points.
Daeqwon Plowden and Matiss Kulackovskis led the way with 18 points each while Samari Curtis added 16 and Trey Diggs had 13 in the home finale.
Ben Vander Plas led Ohio with 25 points, sinking 9 of 19 from the field in the process. He also had eight rebounds. Ben Roderick provided 14 points, while Mark Sears registered a solid double double with 22 points and 13 caroms. He went 10 for 10 at the free throw line.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons came out of the gates hot, taking a quick 8-3 lead with Samari Curtis hitting back-to-back triples, including one from near the logo, forcing a timeout from the Ohio bench.
Out of the timeout BGSU continued to apply the offensive pressure, going on an 11-0 run to take a 13-3 lead.
• Ohio responded with a 10-0 run of their own to tie the game at 13-13.
The two teams continued to go back-and-forth for the rest of the first half, seeing Ohio take a slim 35-31 lead to the halftime break.
• Ohio began the scoring in the second half, but a 9-0 run for the Falcons pushed BGSU ahead 40-38 at the first media break. Bowling Green made a bucket out of the timeout to get the run to 11-0 before the next Ohio basket.
BGSU quickly put together another run at 7-0 for an 18-2 cumulative span in favor of the Falcons, giving Bowling Green a 49-40 lead.
• The Bobcats fought back, but a 11-3 run for the Falcons granted BGSU a double-digit lead at 63-50.
Ohio was able to cut into the lead with a 7-0 run, bringing the score to 63-57 and forcing a Bowling Green timeout. The run stretched to 12-0 out of the timeout to narrow the gap to 63-62.
• Daeqwon Plowden tallied the next five BGSU points, all coming at the free throw line, to extend the BGSU lead to 68-62.
• A 5-0 burst for Ohio brought the game within three points at 70-67 with the Bobcats using a timeout. Out of the timeout, BGSU used a 6-0 run to reclaim their cushion at 76-67.
The Bobcats closed the gap once again, drawing within two at 77-75, but the Falcons were able to stay in front en route to capturing the 80-77 victory.
YPSILANTI, Mich. – Lamar Norman Jr. knocked down a career-high eight three-pointers and poured in a career-high 35 points to lead Western Michigan to a 71-60 victory over Eastern Michigan on Tuesday evening at the Gervin GameAbove Center.
Norman’s eight three-pointers were one shy of tying Western Michigan’s single-game program record of nine, which was set by Levi Rost on Dec. 12, 2004, at Buffalo. With his first triple of the evening, Norman broke Rost’s single-season program record of 91 three-pointers from the 2004-05 campaign.
With his 35 points on Tuesday, Norman posted his fourth 30+ point performance of the season, the most in the Mid-American Conference. The junior has scored in double-figures in 27 of his 29 games as a Bronco.
B. Artis White was also in double-figures for Western Michigan (8-22, 4-15) with 14 points. White and Mileek McMillan secured a team-leading seven rebounds apiece, with White’s seven boards equaling his career-best rebounding total. White also handed out a team-high four assists.
Freshman guard Kevin-David Rice led a balanced EMU effort with 12 points. Luka Savicevic and Monty Scott had 10 apiece, while Noah Farrakhan was one off double figures with nine points. Darion Spottsville grabbed 10 rebounds for the Eagles.
Western Michigan hit a trio of three-pointers in the opening minutes of the contest to grab an early 9-4 edge. Eastern Michigan (10-20, 5-14) answered with a 15-1 run to move ahead, 20-12, at the 7:58 mark.
The Eagles led by as many as nine, 23-14, in the opening stanza, but a 10-2 WMU spurt brought the Broncos back to within a point, 25-24, in the final minute. EMU took a 26-24 advantage into the break.
WMU scored five of the first seven points after the intermission to regain a 29-28 edge at the 17:45 mark. Eastern Michigan quickly moved back ahead, and was in front, 42-39, when a White layup and Norman three-pointer pushed Western Michigan back into a 44-42 advantage with 12:40 to play.
With the Broncos holding a 46-44 edge, EMU rattled off eight in a row to seize a 52-46 lead just past the halfway mark of the second half. Norman’s career-high tying seventh triple of the contest drew WMU within two, 53-51, with 8:26 to play.
Eastern Michigan held a 55-51 edge, before six straight from the Broncos ignited a 16-1 Western Michigan surge, which put the visitors ahead, 67-56, with 2:23 remaining. During the run, WMU held the Eagles without a field goal for more than eight-and-a-half minutes. EMU closed the gap to seven, 67-60, in the final minute, but White drove to the hoop for a layup on the ensuing possession to seal the second consecutive road win for the Broncos.
Western Michigan made 45.6 percent (26-of-57) from the field, including a blistering 58.1 percent (18-of-31) in the second half. The Broncos hit 11 triples for the second consecutive game, connecting on 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from long range. Eastern Michigan shot 41.8 percent (23-of-55) for the game, and was limited to six makes on 23 attempts (26.1 percent) from beyond the arc.
The Broncos committed a season-low five turnovers in the contest, their third straight game with single-digit miscues. Western Michigan owned a 12-3 advantage in points scored off of turnovers.
MUNCIE, Ind. – Akron recoded its 20th win of the season and moved to 8-4 on the road, defeating Ball State 79-60 at Worthen Arena on Tuesday night.
Junior Xavier Castaneda led Akron with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, including a 5-of-10 effort from deep. Sophomore Enrique Freeman followed with his 16th double-double performance of the year, collecting 18 points with 16 rebounds, while sophomores Ali Ali and Mikal Dawson added 16 and 11 points, respectively. Dawson registered a career-high four steals.
Tyler Cochran led the Cardinals in scoring with 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Ball State edged the Zips on the glass 37-31. Demarius Jacobs added 10 points.
Akron (20-9, 13-6 MAC) used a smothering defense to take a 6-0 lead and cause five Ball State (13-16, 8-10 MAC) turnovers in the opening 6:30. The Zips never trailed and led from the opening tap as sophomore Greg Tribble netted Akron's first points.
Akron extended the lead to 22-10 and continued to play swarming defense for a 12-point advantage by the 7:49 mark. During that span Dawson knocked down a pair of trifectas and had three steals.
Akron went six minutes without scoring a still led by double digits until Ball State connected with a free throw with 2:50 left in the first half, but Ali quickly answered and pushed the lead back to 11 points, 24-13. Zips closed out the half with a 32-20 lead.
In the second half, Akron stretched the lead to as many as 21 points, shooting 55.6 percent from the floor (24-of-55) and 53.8 percent from deep (7-of-13) in the second stanza.
For the game, Akron converted 20-of-25 free throws to finish 80.0 percent from the charity stripe. The Zips knocked down 10-of-11 bonus buckets in the first half.
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Sophomore guard Ryan Rollins and junior forward Setric Millner Jr. each scored 20 points as Toledo rolled to a 92-76 victory at Buffalo Tuesday night, clinching at least a share of its second straight Mid-American Conference championship.
With their victory, the Rockets won back-to-back titles for the first time since winning three in a row from 1979-81 and are looking to capture two consecutive outright league crowns for the first time in program history.
Toledo (24-6, 16-3 MAC) won for the sixth time in its last seven games, while snapping Buffalo's (19-9, 13-5 MAC) nine-game winning streak. The Rockets shot a sizzling 34-of-64 (53.1%) from the field, including 9-of-17 from long range. Six different Rockets made at least one three-pointer.
Rollins added eight rebounds and six assists to go with his 20 points. Junior guard RayJ Dennis chipped in with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists, while junior forward JT Shumate pitched in with 14 points while battling foul trouble.
After trailing 5-0, the Rockets made nine of their first 11 shots on their way to a 27-13 lead. Toledo led by as many as 19 points in the first half and took a 46-32 lead into halftime. Toledo outscored the Bulls 7-2 to open the second half and led by as many as 24 points before Buffalo trimmed the margin in the waning minutes.
FIRST HALF
• After Buffalo opened with a 5-0 lead, Toledo made six of its first eight shots to outscore the Bulls 16-4 and take a 16-9 lead heading into the first media timeout.
• Toledo continued its long-distance barrage, hitting five of its first six three-point attempts. Setric Millner Jr.'s two-point jumper made the score 27-13 and forced Buffalo to call timeout at the 12:14 mark.
• Ryan Rollins nailed Toledo's sixth three-pointer of the half to push the lead to 32-15 and force another Buffalo timeout at the 8:49 mark.
• After Buffalo trimmed the lead to 36-23, Toledo went on a 6-0 run to increase the margin to 42-23 with 3:47 left. However, moments later junior JT Shumate picked up his third foul.
• Buffalo's Ronaldo Segu made a running shot at the buzzer from just inside the halfcourt line to trim Toledo's lead to 46-32 at the break.
• Toledo shot a sizzling 19-of-34 (55.9%) from the floor in the first 20 minutes, including 6-of-10 from long range. Rollins led the way with 12 first-half points.
SECOND HALF
• Toledo extended its lead to 57-40 at the first media timeout, getting a boost from freshman center Mihai Carcoana, who made two buckets in the first two minutes.
• Junior guard Keshaun Saunders knocked down a three-pointer at the 12:29 mark, capping an 8-2 run that increased Toledo's edge to 69-47.
• Toledo pushed the lead 24 points, 85-61, at the 4:14 mark on a jumper by Millner, putting the game out of reach.
DEKALB, Ill. – The Mid-American Conference's hottest team continued its roll Tuesday as Kent State (20-9, 15-4 MAC) earned a gritty road win over Northern Illinois (8-21, 5-14 MAC). With the latest victory, the Flashes extended their winning streak to 11 games, the most since the 2001-02 season.
The Golden Flashes started slowly, scoring just 12 points over the first 12 minutes of the game. They trailed by five, but a 7-0 run gave the Flashes a 19-17 lead with 7:09 remaining in the opening half.
Kent State went scoreless for the next two and half minutes but scored 13 points over the final 4:31, including a 6-0 run to end the half, and take a 32-25 lead into the locker room. Sincere Carry led the team with 10 first-half points.
The two teams battled in the second half, trading buckets through the under-8:00 media timeout when the Flashes held a 49-43 lead with 7:23 remaining.
Kent State used great defense to close the game down the stretch, holding NIU to just 2-for-16 (.125) from long distance for the game and just 37 percent from the field.
Carry posted his 12th game of the season with 20 or more points, finishing with a team-high 22 points and six assists. Malique Jacobs provided 12 points and nine rebounds, while Justyn Hamilton scored 11 points and grabbed six boards off the bench.
Keshawn Williams led NIU with 16 points. Chinedu Kingsley Okanu also reached double figures, adding 14 points.