ILLINOIS STATE 87, EASTERN MICHIGAN 81
BALL STATE 76, EASTERN ILLINOIS 59
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—In a rugged, back-and-forth basketball contest, Robert Morris put together a decisive 7-0 run late in the game and fended off host Central Michigan for a 71-66 men's basketball win Wednesday evening at McGuirk Arena.
Central Michigan junior Jesse Zarzuela returned to the lineup after missing each of the last two games and scored a game and career-high 25 points on 7-17 shooting. He also tied a career-high by hitting 4-8 3-pointers. The contest marked his second 20-point game this year. Sophomore Markus Harding also returned after missing each of the last six games and finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Reggie Bass added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Chippewas.
Robert Morris was led by Josh Corbin's 20 points and 6-11 3-point performance. Kahliel Spear did the damage down low as he finished with 18 points (7-14 FG) with game-highs of 15 rebounds and seven assists, while Enoch Cheeks tallied 17 points and four assists.
CMU shot just 32.3 percent (20-62) from the floor and registered only five assists on 20 field goals. CMU was also outrebounded 43-35. On defense, the Chippewas allowed Robert Morris to shoot 52 percent (13-25) in the second half.
Trailing 41-39, Robert Morris used a 7-0 run to regain the lead, 46-41, at the 9:27 mark. The run featured a Matt Mayers dunk, Enoch Cheeks step back jumper, and deep 3-pointer by Corbin. A dunk by Mayers and a Spear tip-in pushed the Colonials' lead to eight points with 6:40 to play, then the Colonials kept the Chippewas at bay when Spear scored on a driving layup and converted two free throws, and corner 3-pointer by Corbin pushed RMU's lead to 60-50 with 3:41 to play.
Though Central Michigan cut RMU's lead down to four points (70-66) on a Harding layup with 21 seconds to play, but that was as close as the Chippewas came as Robert Morris hit four of its last five shots down the stretch.
Central Michigan dropped to 4-5 on the year, while Robert Morris improved to 4-6. The loss snapped CMU's two-game win streak.
NORMAL, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – Four different players scored in double figures as Tyson Acuff led the way with a team-best 14 points as Eastern Michigan fought back from a halftime deficit before eventually falling at Illinois State University, 87-81, Wednesday.
Eastern (2-8) also saw Legend Geeter, Orlando Lovejoy, and Noah Farrakhan score for 10-or-more to build back from a six-point deficit before the Redbirds (4-6) closed the game on an 11-2 run.
How It Happened
The Eagles held several early leads in the game before entering halftime trailing, 41-35. In the second half, the Eagles began to chip away and took the lead, 60-59, at the 10:37 mark, giving the visitors their first lead since it was 18-16 with 9:51 remaining in the opening half.
Eastern Michigan narrowed its deficit to 71-66 before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Emoni Bates' three, to even the score at 71 all with 5:39 to go in the contest. The Eagles could not turn their rally into a victory, as the Redbirds outscored them 16-10 the rest of the way to hand Eastern Michigan the 87-81 loss. Eastern Michigan got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 14 of its 46 total points.
Game Notes
» Geeter turned in a career-high 13 points on the night, bettering his previous best of 12 points he scored against Winthrop University, Nov. 23, in the Cancun Challenge. He finished the game with five made baskets to tie a career high from the same game.
» Lovejoy recorded a team-high three steals, which also tied his career high he set at Oakland University, Nov. 19. Lovejoy finished the game with 11 points, marking the third time he has reached double figures this season and his first time since the Oakland game.
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Mickey Pearson Jr. recorded a career game as he went for 20 points to lead Ball State to a 76-59 victory Wednesday against Eastern Illinois. The Cardinals improved to 5-4 on the year as five players finished in double digits, while the Panthers fell to 2-8 on the season.
For the second-straight game, Ball State finished the game with five players in double figures. Pearson led the way with 20 points and added a game-high nine boards. He collected one of the team's five steals. Payton Sparks notched a 12-point game to go along with his four rebounds, one block, and one steal. Jarron Coleman has scored double figures in eight-consecutive games with his 11-point performance. He tied his career best with a game-high eight assists and tallied one steal.
Demarius Jacobs recorded his eighth game of the season in double figures behind a 10-point effort. Jacobs collected five assists and brought down three rebounds. Jalen Windham finished with 10 points, his seventh game of the season in double figures.
The Panthers opened the game strong with an 8-3 run. The Cardinals were unfazed and answered with an 8-2 run to take their first lead of the game, 11-10, with 12:42 left until the break.
With the score tied 17-17 with 9:13 on the clock, Ball State started to gain control of the game. BSU went on a 7-2 run capped by a Coleman 3-pointer. The Cardinals held a 24-19 lead with 6:10 left until the break. The Panthers pulled within three, 24-21, before the Cardinals scored the game's next six points and took a 30-21 lead with 3:38 left.
Jacobs drew two defenders which setup Pearson. for the easy dunk before the half expired. BSU took a 36-29 lead into the half.
The second half started as a back-and-forth battle, but the Cardinals were able to outscore the Panthers, 13-10, and held a 49-39 lead with 13:35 left to play. The two squads stayed even the next 3:04 of play as BSU held a 56-46 advantage with just under 10 minutes left.
Ball State went on a 13-5 run that lasted until 5:49 left in the game. During the run, the Cardinals used ball movement to create open 3-point looks that Windham and Pearson capitalized on. The Cardinals led 69-51.
The Panthers ended the final 4:52 with an 8-7 advantage, but the Cardinals claimed the 76-59 victory.
Ball State finished the second half shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 58.3 percent from 3-point range. BSU was a perfect 1.000 percent from the free-throw line in the second half as well.
For the game, the Cardinals outrebounded the Panthers, 36-26. BSU was able to bring down 24 defensive rebounds.
Kinyon Hodges and Nick Ellington led the Panthers with 12 points each. Ellington recorded five rebounds and a team-best three steals. Hodges posted a team-best three assists.