XAVIER 96, BALL STATE 50
EASTERN MICHIGAN 60, NIAGRA 58
YOUNGSTOWN STATE 84, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 77
BUFFALO 77, WESTERN KENTUCKY 67
The Cardinals started the game strong as Bumbalough knocked down a 3-pointer for the game's first points. After a defensive stop, Cochran made a driving layup and gave Ball State an early 5-0 lead. After a field goal from Xavier, Cochran added another layup and put BSU up five, 7-2, with 16:21 remaining in the half.
The Musketeers responded with a 9-0 run and gained a 13-7 lead with 12:24 in the half. The Cardinals were able to cut the lead to three, 15-12, as Jaylin Sellers made a layup and Basheer Jihad drained a 3-pointer.
From 11:07 to 3:18 in the first half, the Musketeers went on a 20-5 run and extended their lead to 35-17. Miryne Thomas ended the half for Ball State as he scored the team's final six points of the half, including a 3-ball as time was expiring. Xavier took a 45-23 lead into the break.
The Musketeers continued where they left off in the first half, as they started the second on a 17-6 run and extended their lead to 62-29. Xavier saw its lead expand to 44, 82-38, with just over six minutes left in the game. The Musketeers gained its largest lead of 46, 96-50, as they hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the contest.
Cochran tied for the team lead in points with 10 and added a team-high four steals. Bumbalough chipped in with 10 points as well. Demarius Jacobs and Jihad led the team with four rebounds each. Bumbalough and Jacobs tied for the team lead in assists with a pair each. Jihad had the team's lone block of the contest.
Zach Freemantle posted a game-high 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field for Xavier. Colby Jones and Nate Johnson each notched 14 points. Paul Scruggs recorded a game-high nine rebounds.
The Cardinals return to the friendly confines of Worthen Arena on Sunday, Dec. 12. BSU welcomes IU-Kokomo for a 1 p.m. tip.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) --Eastern Michigan defeated Niagara University, 60-58, on Wednesday night inside the Convocation Center.
The Eagles (4-5, 0-0 MAC) had three players score in double figures, led by junior Bryce McBride (Jackson, Tenn.-Southside (Dyersburg State C.C.)) produced a game-high 19 points and a season-high three steals. Senior Monty Scott (Union, N.J.-St. Benedict's Prep (Portland State)) tacked on 11 points while freshman Colin Golson Jr. (Detroit, Mich.-Ferndale (Siena)) also added 11 points and six rebounds.
The Eastern Michigan defense held Niagara shooters to only 37.3 (19-of-51) percent from the field, including 20.8 (5-of-24) percent from beyond the arc. The Purple Eagles did not get many second opportunities on the offensive end, as they grabbed only nine offensive rebounds and scored nine second-chance points.
How It Happened
After falling behind 27-25, Eastern Michigan went on a 5-0 run with 1:33 left in the first half to take a 30-27 lead heading into the break. The Eagles got a great contribution from its bench in the first stanza, as non-starters accounted for 13 of EMU's 30 total points.
Following intermission, Eastern widened that advantage, expanding it to 43-34 before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by an M. Scott jumper, to grow the lead to 48-34 with 11:11 to go in the contest. Niagara narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Eagles still held on for the 60-58 win. Eastern Michigan took care of business in the paint, recording 20 of its 30 points in the lane in the second half.
Game Notes
» The Eagles held the Purple Eagles to only 37.3 percent shooting from the field.
» EMU forced 14 turnovers and scored 17 points off of those turnovers.
» The Green and White edged the Purple Eagles in points in the paint (34-24), points off turnovers (17-7), and fast break points (16-9).
» Eastern Michigan never trailed in the second half on its way to its fourth victory of the season.
» Eastern's bench came alive, scoring 23 points. It's the eighth time this season the Eagles' bench has notched 20+ points.
» McBride led the Eagles with a game-high 19 points. His 19 points mark the third time this season he has scored 15-or-more points off the bench.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – It was a good effort and competitive game, but Central Michigan did not have enough to make up an early double-digit deficit as the Chippewas fell to Youngstown State, 84-77, on Wednesday in a nonconference game at the Penguins' Beeghly Center.
"They're young guys and you're trying to keep them positive because it's hard for them to see the forest for the trees when you start talking wins and losses," Head Coach Tony Barbee said of his players. "It's a long season. This is a process of us getting better and growing as a program.
Oscar Lopez Jr. scored 21 points to lead four Chippewas in double figures. The junior transfer from DePaul made three of his five 3-point attempts and CMU finished 10 for 19 from long range.
Ralph Bissainthe came off the bench to add 15 points and lead CMU with six rebounds, and Kevin Miller added 13 points. The point totals for both Lopez and Bissainthe were season highs.
The 77 points was a season best for the Chippewas, and their .545 field goal percentage was also their season high.
Trouble was, the Penguins (5-3) made 56.1 percent of their field goal tries overall including 66.7 percent in the first half, when they pulled out to a 15-point lead, 41-26, with under three minutes remaining before the break.
CMU hung in and crept as close as four points midway through the second half and was within five, 82-77, with under 20 seconds remaining. However, the Penguins had an answer every time CMU threatened.
The Chippewas (1-8) play host to UIC on Saturday (4:30 p.m.) at McGuirk Arena.
BOWLING GREEN, KY – Playing without two key members of the rotation, including leading scorer Jeenathan Williams, the Buffalo Bulls nonetheless earned a hard fought road victory at Western Kentucky on Wednesday night, 77-67.
The Bulls cashed in 13 three-pointers as three different players had at least three triples. UB also held a commanding 42-28 advantage on the glass, which included 17 offensive boards.
The host Hilltoppers got out to the early 18-10 lead midway through the first half, but that would be their largest lead of the game. Triples from Maceo Jack and Ronaldo Segu ignited an 8-0 run and Buffalo tied up the game. Jack continued to have the hot hand as he had a thunderous dunk and then knocked down two more three-pointers to put the Bulls ahead, 30-25, with 4:59 left. A three from Josh Mballa gave the Bulls their largest lead of the first half at six.
After the Hilltoppers came back to take a one-point lead, UB started to heat up from three. Senior Keishawn Brewton drained three straight triples, followed by a three from Mballa and a long two from Jamon Bivens to give the Bulls a 63-52 lead.
Western Kentucky had one more run in them, pulling to within four with 6:20 left and the game was a five-point contest with 5:06 left when back-to-back buckets from Mballa and another Jack three gave the Bulls their largest lead of the game at 75-63. The Hilltoppers never got any closer than eight.
"I am so proud of our guys to put an effort like that out there when we were missing a couple of guys," said Jim Whitesell. "We got back to playing Buffalo basketball tonight, dominating the boards and diving for loose balls."
Mballa led all scorers with 19 points, adding nine boards, including six on the offensive end. Segu had 18 points, six boards and a game-high seven assists. Jack added 14 points, 11 of those coming in the first half.
Brewton had nine points and Tra'von Fagan finished with seven points and eight rebounds. David Skogman had six points, while Bivens and LaQuill Hardnett each finished with two.
The Bulls dished out 16 assists, opposed to just nine for Western Kentucky.
Buffalo returns to Western New York for a home contest against St. John Fisher on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is at 1pm.