Tough defense, strong rebounding and a clutch performance from senior guard Quintin Dailey helped lead the Eagles to a 41-38 victory over the University of Toledo Rockets and keep their share of the Mid American Conference West Division lead.
After being tied at 33, Dailey hit two consecutive three-point field goals to put EMU (9-10, 4-1 MAC) up 39-36 with just 3:30 left in the game.
In the defensive battle, the Rockets held EMU to just 15 of 46 shots (32.6 percent), but EMU limited the second-chance opportunities of the Rockets by out-rebounding its opponent 40-27. The Eagles also held the high-scoring Toledo offense to just 15-for-50 shooting (30 percent).
With just 00:15 remaining, and a 41-38 lead, sophomore guard J.R. Sims turned the ball over, giving the Rockets one final attempt to tie the game. 5-foot-10-inch sophomore guard Julius Brown took the final shot for the Rockets, which rimmed short and sealed the victory for the Eagles.
The 4-1 MAC start is the best for an Eagle’s team since the 1996-97 season led by Earl Boykins and Derrick Dial.
The success of the Eagles was largely due to its defense against the Rockets and conference star Rian Pearson. The 6-foot-4-inch guard finished the game with 12 points and 5 rebounds in 37 minutes – both below his season averages.
No EMU player finished the game with double-digit scoring, Darrell Lampley finishing with a team high of nine points, below his season average of 12.9 points per game.
The first half saw both teams exhibit sloppy play, with several turnovers and missed opportunities. The Eagles turned the ball over 11 times in the half, while the Rockets had eight.
EMU jumped out to an early 10-4 lead through the first nine minutes of the game, but Toledo responded with a 10-0 run of its own. The lead changed several times throughout the game, but the Eagles didn’t lose a lead after 10 minutes had passed in the second half.
The Eagles will go on a six-game swing and play teams from the MAC East Division, starting on Tuesday, when they take on the University of Buffalo (9-6, 2-2 MAC), led by 6-foot-6 sophomore forward Javon McCrea (16.6 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game) in Buffalo, N.Y. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
