TUESDAY, FEB. 28 ACTION
MIAMI 77, WESTERN MICHIGAN 62
BOWLING GREEN 88, EASTERN MICHIGAN 68
TOLEDO 99, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 65
AKRON 87, BALL STATE 63
KENT STATE 82, OHIO 75
BUFFALO 85, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 75
BOWLING GREEN 88, EASTERN MICHIGAN 68
TOLEDO 99, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 65
AKRON 87, BALL STATE 63
KENT STATE 82, OHIO 75
BUFFALO 85, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 75
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MIAMI 77, WESTERN MICHIGAN 62
By MIKE SMITH
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Five RedHawks scored in double figures and MU hit 50 percent from the field as Miami posted a 77-62 road win against Western Michigan Tuesday at University Arena.
It was the fourth straight win for Miami, which raised its record to 6-11 in conference play and 12-18 overall. With losses by Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan Tuesday, MU slipped into sole possession of eighth place. However, the RedHawks will finish their regular season Saturday with a road game at Buffalo. Miami won the . . . CONTINUE
By MIKE SMITH
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Five RedHawks scored in double figures and MU hit 50 percent from the field as Miami posted a 77-62 road win against Western Michigan Tuesday at University Arena.
It was the fourth straight win for Miami, which raised its record to 6-11 in conference play and 12-18 overall. With losses by Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan Tuesday, MU slipped into sole possession of eighth place. However, the RedHawks will finish their regular season Saturday with a road game at Buffalo. Miami won the . . . CONTINUE
BOWLING GREEN 88, EASTERN MICHIGAN 68
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green Falcons claimed an 88-68 victory over Eastern Michigan at the Stroh Center Tuesday night to tally the program's eighth straight win over EMU.
The win moves Coach Huger to 10-1 against the Eagles as the BGSU head coach and keeps the Falcons' MAC Tournament hopes alive heading into the regular season finale on Friday (March 3) at Ohio.
The first half saw the Falcons and Eagles go back-and-forth. Rashaun Agee led the way at the halfway points with 11 points and four rebounds, the start of his first double-double as a Falcons, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Samari Curtis took over in the second half, scoring all 25 of his points after the halftime break. In the second half, Curtis went a perfect 7-of-7 from the field and was 9-of-10 at the free throw line, becoming the first Falcon this season with 20+ points in a half.
HOW IT HAPPENED
An early 5-0 run pushed Eastern Michigan ahead 6-2 at the first media timeout, despite two early blocks by Ubongabasi Etim.
The EMU run stretched to 7-0 with an 8-2 lead. The Falcons worked to close the gap to a one-point game at the next media break with the score at 19-18 EMU. BGSU put together a 5-0 burst out of the timeout for a 21-19 lead.
Eastern Michigan came back to reclaim their lead with a 5-0 run to move in front 28-27 at the under-4 media timeout of the first half.
The Falcons utilized a 6-0 run late in the second half to take back the lead at 33-28, heading into halftime up 35-31.
The two teams traded buckets for the first five minutes of the second half before a 6-0 run for Bowling Green stretched the BGSU lead to double-digits, leading 58-46 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the game.
Another 5-0 run for the Falcons increased the advantage to 66-50, forcing a timeout from the Eastern Michigan bench.
A 14-3 stretch in favor of Bowling Green pushed the BGSU lead beyond 20, holding a 78-57 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the game.
A late 8-0 run cemented the win for the Falcons, increasing the lead for the Orange and Brown to 88-62, holding on for an 88-68 final.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green Falcons claimed an 88-68 victory over Eastern Michigan at the Stroh Center Tuesday night to tally the program's eighth straight win over EMU.
The win moves Coach Huger to 10-1 against the Eagles as the BGSU head coach and keeps the Falcons' MAC Tournament hopes alive heading into the regular season finale on Friday (March 3) at Ohio.
The first half saw the Falcons and Eagles go back-and-forth. Rashaun Agee led the way at the halfway points with 11 points and four rebounds, the start of his first double-double as a Falcons, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Samari Curtis took over in the second half, scoring all 25 of his points after the halftime break. In the second half, Curtis went a perfect 7-of-7 from the field and was 9-of-10 at the free throw line, becoming the first Falcon this season with 20+ points in a half.
HOW IT HAPPENED
An early 5-0 run pushed Eastern Michigan ahead 6-2 at the first media timeout, despite two early blocks by Ubongabasi Etim.
The EMU run stretched to 7-0 with an 8-2 lead. The Falcons worked to close the gap to a one-point game at the next media break with the score at 19-18 EMU. BGSU put together a 5-0 burst out of the timeout for a 21-19 lead.
Eastern Michigan came back to reclaim their lead with a 5-0 run to move in front 28-27 at the under-4 media timeout of the first half.
The Falcons utilized a 6-0 run late in the second half to take back the lead at 33-28, heading into halftime up 35-31.
The two teams traded buckets for the first five minutes of the second half before a 6-0 run for Bowling Green stretched the BGSU lead to double-digits, leading 58-46 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the game.
Another 5-0 run for the Falcons increased the advantage to 66-50, forcing a timeout from the Eastern Michigan bench.
A 14-3 stretch in favor of Bowling Green pushed the BGSU lead beyond 20, holding a 78-57 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the game.
A late 8-0 run cemented the win for the Falcons, increasing the lead for the Orange and Brown to 88-62, holding on for an 88-68 final.
TOLEDO 99, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 65
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Toledo Rockets had a night to remember on Tuesday evening in McGuirk Arena as they posted a 99-65 triumph over Central Michigan (10-20, 5-12 MAC). That victory clinched a share of a third-straight Mid-American Conference title. The Rockets (24-6, 15-2 MAC) also tied a single-season school record with their 14th consecutive win.
Senior Setric Millner Jr paced Toledo with a career-high 32 points, knocking down 11-of-15 shots from the field and a career-best 6-of-7 from three-point range. He also tied for the team lead with six rebounds.
"We didn't have a great start tonight at either end of the floor, but Seth played great and kept us in the game," Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "We were efficient, really moved the ball and made shots."
Junior RayJ Dennis produced a milestone of his own by becoming the fifth Rocket ever to score 1,000 points in his first two seasons. He scored 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting and dished out a game-high six assists in 29 minutes.
The duo's stellar shooting performance helped Toledo shoot 58.5% as a team and 56.3% (9-of-16) from three-point range. Those numbers were dwarfed by an amazing 28-of-28 performance at the free-throw line that shattered the school record for free throws without a miss by eight, and just six shy of the NCAA record of 34.
Sophomore EJ Farmer also tied his career high with 15 points. Sophomores Dante Maddox Jr. and Ra'Heim Moss also scored in double digits with 10 points apiece.
Toledo held a 45-34 halftime lead and came out of the locker room by scoring the first 15 points to blow the game open.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Toledo Rockets had a night to remember on Tuesday evening in McGuirk Arena as they posted a 99-65 triumph over Central Michigan (10-20, 5-12 MAC). That victory clinched a share of a third-straight Mid-American Conference title. The Rockets (24-6, 15-2 MAC) also tied a single-season school record with their 14th consecutive win.
Senior Setric Millner Jr paced Toledo with a career-high 32 points, knocking down 11-of-15 shots from the field and a career-best 6-of-7 from three-point range. He also tied for the team lead with six rebounds.
"We didn't have a great start tonight at either end of the floor, but Seth played great and kept us in the game," Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "We were efficient, really moved the ball and made shots."
Junior RayJ Dennis produced a milestone of his own by becoming the fifth Rocket ever to score 1,000 points in his first two seasons. He scored 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting and dished out a game-high six assists in 29 minutes.
The duo's stellar shooting performance helped Toledo shoot 58.5% as a team and 56.3% (9-of-16) from three-point range. Those numbers were dwarfed by an amazing 28-of-28 performance at the free-throw line that shattered the school record for free throws without a miss by eight, and just six shy of the NCAA record of 34.
Sophomore EJ Farmer also tied his career high with 15 points. Sophomores Dante Maddox Jr. and Ra'Heim Moss also scored in double digits with 10 points apiece.
Toledo held a 45-34 halftime lead and came out of the locker room by scoring the first 15 points to blow the game open.
AKRON 87, BALL STATE 63
AKRON, Ohio – The Akron Zips honored their graduating seniors prior to their final home game of the regular season, then battled through adversity from the opening tip and roared back for a clutch 87-83 win over the visiting Ball State Cardinals on Tuesday evening at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Senior guard Xavier Castaneda scored 29 points to lead all scorers, junior forward Sammy Hunter posted a career-high in points (25) and in 3-pointers (six) while junior forward Enrique Freeman notched his 17th double-double of the season for the Zips with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
In a game filled with big shots, none were bigger than 3-pointers by Casntañeda with 1:57 remaining to extend Akron's hard-won lead to five (75-70) and Hunter with 44.1 seconds remaining for a seven-point margin (79-72), helping the Zips (21-9, 13-4 Mid-American Conference) fend off the Cardinals.
Following Ball State's last-ditch less than two seconds remaining, it was Castañeda who again came up big by making both foul shots on the ensuing possession to close out the win.
A 12-0 Akron run midway through the second half gave the blue and gold their first lead of the evening as back-to-back triples by Castañeda put the Zips ahead 66-63 edge and the senior guard capped the burst with two clutch free throws to put his team ahead by five.
The final push came after Akron played from behind much of the evening, then used multiple second-half runs to fight their way back into the lead before completing the comeback in their home finale.
That rallying spirit started in the first half as facing an early 11-point deficit, the Zips steadily chipped away and closed to within three before ending the half down by five (41-36).
Much of that progress was powered by free throws, as Akron outscored the visitors 6-1 from the line in the opening 20 minutes. With just two turnovers in the half and six offensive rebounds, the Zips maximized their scoring chances in the half.
Junior guard Jalen Windham led Ball State (20-10, 11-6 MAC) with 19 points and sophomore forward Basheer Jihad contributed 17 in the loss.
With the win, Akron will be either the second or third seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament and that seeding will be determined by the outcome of the season finale against Kent State, set for 6 p.m. on March 3 in Kent.
AKRON, Ohio – The Akron Zips honored their graduating seniors prior to their final home game of the regular season, then battled through adversity from the opening tip and roared back for a clutch 87-83 win over the visiting Ball State Cardinals on Tuesday evening at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Senior guard Xavier Castaneda scored 29 points to lead all scorers, junior forward Sammy Hunter posted a career-high in points (25) and in 3-pointers (six) while junior forward Enrique Freeman notched his 17th double-double of the season for the Zips with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
In a game filled with big shots, none were bigger than 3-pointers by Casntañeda with 1:57 remaining to extend Akron's hard-won lead to five (75-70) and Hunter with 44.1 seconds remaining for a seven-point margin (79-72), helping the Zips (21-9, 13-4 Mid-American Conference) fend off the Cardinals.
Following Ball State's last-ditch less than two seconds remaining, it was Castañeda who again came up big by making both foul shots on the ensuing possession to close out the win.
A 12-0 Akron run midway through the second half gave the blue and gold their first lead of the evening as back-to-back triples by Castañeda put the Zips ahead 66-63 edge and the senior guard capped the burst with two clutch free throws to put his team ahead by five.
The final push came after Akron played from behind much of the evening, then used multiple second-half runs to fight their way back into the lead before completing the comeback in their home finale.
That rallying spirit started in the first half as facing an early 11-point deficit, the Zips steadily chipped away and closed to within three before ending the half down by five (41-36).
Much of that progress was powered by free throws, as Akron outscored the visitors 6-1 from the line in the opening 20 minutes. With just two turnovers in the half and six offensive rebounds, the Zips maximized their scoring chances in the half.
Junior guard Jalen Windham led Ball State (20-10, 11-6 MAC) with 19 points and sophomore forward Basheer Jihad contributed 17 in the loss.
With the win, Akron will be either the second or third seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament and that seeding will be determined by the outcome of the season finale against Kent State, set for 6 p.m. on March 3 in Kent.
KENT STATE 82, OHIO 75
Kent, OH - Kent State (24-6, 14-3 MAC) remained perfect at home and continues their 21-home-game victory streak with an 82-75 win over Ohio Tuesday at the M.A.C Center.
The Flashes now have 24 wins this season, putting them only one game behind the Kent State Record for wins in a regular season that was set in 2007-08 with 25 victories.
Kent State put up points quickly going on an 11-2 run right after tip. Out of the first media timeout, a three from Ben Roderick and a jumper from AJ Clayton cut the Ohio deficit to 11-7. The Bobcats took advantage of every shot outshooting the Flashes 50 percent from both the field and the three. Ohio led 39-35 at intermission.
After regrouping, the Flashes came ready to close out the second half of the game. The Flashes outshot the Bobcats in the second half shooting 60.7 percent from the field and 40 percent from the three. Every player that stepped on the court for the Flashes' scored at least three points with three players scoring in double digits.
Sincere Carry led the Flashes once again scoring a game-high 23 points while adding five rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Malique Jacobs and Chris Payton both recorded 15 points. Payton recorded nine rebounds and Jacobs added a team-high five assists.
The Flashes finished with 32 rebounds and 38 points in the paint.
Jaylin Hunter paced Ohio with 14 points. Miles Brown and AJ Clayton added 11 apiece, while Ben Roderick and DeVon Baker chipped in nine each.
Kent, OH - Kent State (24-6, 14-3 MAC) remained perfect at home and continues their 21-home-game victory streak with an 82-75 win over Ohio Tuesday at the M.A.C Center.
The Flashes now have 24 wins this season, putting them only one game behind the Kent State Record for wins in a regular season that was set in 2007-08 with 25 victories.
Kent State put up points quickly going on an 11-2 run right after tip. Out of the first media timeout, a three from Ben Roderick and a jumper from AJ Clayton cut the Ohio deficit to 11-7. The Bobcats took advantage of every shot outshooting the Flashes 50 percent from both the field and the three. Ohio led 39-35 at intermission.
After regrouping, the Flashes came ready to close out the second half of the game. The Flashes outshot the Bobcats in the second half shooting 60.7 percent from the field and 40 percent from the three. Every player that stepped on the court for the Flashes' scored at least three points with three players scoring in double digits.
Sincere Carry led the Flashes once again scoring a game-high 23 points while adding five rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Malique Jacobs and Chris Payton both recorded 15 points. Payton recorded nine rebounds and Jacobs added a team-high five assists.
The Flashes finished with 32 rebounds and 38 points in the paint.
Jaylin Hunter paced Ohio with 14 points. Miles Brown and AJ Clayton added 11 apiece, while Ben Roderick and DeVon Baker chipped in nine each.
BUFFALO 85, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 75
DEKALB, Ill. – The Buffalo Bulls (14-16, 7-9 MAC) defeated the Northern Illinois Huskies (12-18, 8-9 MAC) in blue collar fashion on Tuesday evening, 85-75.
Curtis Jones led all scorers with 21 points. Isaiah Adams also finished with 20 on the night. LaQuill Hardnett (15) and Jonnivius Smith (10) finished in double figures. At the glass, Hardnett and Isaac Jack secured eight rebounds each.
Buffalo practically led wire to wire in the contest as the Huskies jumped out to a 2-0 lead. A lead they held for just 23-seconds. A C. Jones three-pointer was all the Bulls needed to keep the lead.
The Bulls were blazing as they buried 18 of their 31 first half shots, good for over 58%. The defense held the Huskies to just nine made shot from the floor in the first half. Northern Illinois shot a shade under 35% in the opening 20. The Bulls knocked down five threes courtesy of C. Jones and Adams. Headed into the half, the Bulls led 42-26.
The Bulls kept the offense clicking in the second half as they shot 50%. However, the Huskies were even hotter. They shot 61.3% making 19 of their 31 shots. Northern Illinois made five more shots than the Bulls in the second half, but they missed seven free throws, going 7-for-14 in the second half. The charity stripe was not kind to them as they missed crucial attempts down the stretch when they cut the lead down to seven.
This marked C. Jones' 10th 20-point performance of the season. Adams is up to five 20-point games on the season. With Hardnett scoring 15 points, this was the sixth time the Bulls had three players score 15 or more points in a game.
Zid Powell, Armoni Foster, and C. Jones handled the ball well as they combined for 11 of the teams' 15 assists.
Kidtrell Blocker had a solid game off the bench as he finished with eight points.
Five Huskies reached double figures, led by Darweshi Hunter and Armandas Plintauskas -- both with 18 points. Anthony Crump tossed in 13, while Kaleb Thorton and Harvin Ibarguen chipped in 10 apiece.
After hitting 34.6 percent from the field in the first half, NIU connected on 61.2 after intermission. However, it was not enough to make up for a halftime deficit of 42-26.
With the win, the Bulls clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament. Buffalo holds the tiebreaker over Northern Illinois in the MAC standings as they swept them on the season.
DEKALB, Ill. – The Buffalo Bulls (14-16, 7-9 MAC) defeated the Northern Illinois Huskies (12-18, 8-9 MAC) in blue collar fashion on Tuesday evening, 85-75.
Curtis Jones led all scorers with 21 points. Isaiah Adams also finished with 20 on the night. LaQuill Hardnett (15) and Jonnivius Smith (10) finished in double figures. At the glass, Hardnett and Isaac Jack secured eight rebounds each.
Buffalo practically led wire to wire in the contest as the Huskies jumped out to a 2-0 lead. A lead they held for just 23-seconds. A C. Jones three-pointer was all the Bulls needed to keep the lead.
The Bulls were blazing as they buried 18 of their 31 first half shots, good for over 58%. The defense held the Huskies to just nine made shot from the floor in the first half. Northern Illinois shot a shade under 35% in the opening 20. The Bulls knocked down five threes courtesy of C. Jones and Adams. Headed into the half, the Bulls led 42-26.
The Bulls kept the offense clicking in the second half as they shot 50%. However, the Huskies were even hotter. They shot 61.3% making 19 of their 31 shots. Northern Illinois made five more shots than the Bulls in the second half, but they missed seven free throws, going 7-for-14 in the second half. The charity stripe was not kind to them as they missed crucial attempts down the stretch when they cut the lead down to seven.
This marked C. Jones' 10th 20-point performance of the season. Adams is up to five 20-point games on the season. With Hardnett scoring 15 points, this was the sixth time the Bulls had three players score 15 or more points in a game.
Zid Powell, Armoni Foster, and C. Jones handled the ball well as they combined for 11 of the teams' 15 assists.
Kidtrell Blocker had a solid game off the bench as he finished with eight points.
Five Huskies reached double figures, led by Darweshi Hunter and Armandas Plintauskas -- both with 18 points. Anthony Crump tossed in 13, while Kaleb Thorton and Harvin Ibarguen chipped in 10 apiece.
After hitting 34.6 percent from the field in the first half, NIU connected on 61.2 after intermission. However, it was not enough to make up for a halftime deficit of 42-26.
With the win, the Bulls clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament. Buffalo holds the tiebreaker over Northern Illinois in the MAC standings as they swept them on the season.
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