Guards Raven Lee and Mike Talley led the Eastern Michigan University offense in the second half to snap the team’s three-game losing skid Tuesday night.
“I thought Lee did a great job of making plays and creating some offense,” EMU coach Rob Murphy said. “Talley did a phenomenal job – four rebounds, eleven points and 8-for-10 from the free throw line – I thought [that] was pretty good.”
The Eagles’ 67-58 win over the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay at the Convocation Center improved their record to 6-3. Still hot off of a win against the University of Virginia last Sunday, Green Bay’s record dropped to 5-3.
“[Green Bay] has a lot of talent; they’re a very good team,” Murphy said. “Coming off three losses, for us to step up to beat a team like that under those circumstances, I’m really proud of our guys.”
Lee led the Eagles with 17 points, nine of which came in the second half. He was 7-for-8 from the line throughout the whole game.
Talley also accounted for nine points in the second half, which bumped his game-total to 11. He was 8-for-10 on free throws, with six of them being the only points in an EMU six-point stretch late in the second half.
Da’Shonte Riley put up a season-best 11 points before he fouled out with 14 seconds left in the game. The senior center had eight rebounds and three blocks.
The Phoenix had big-man Alec Brown take control of the offense with a double-double (19 points and 10 rebounds), seven of which were earned on offense. Guard Keifer Sykes had 13 points andwas two-for-four on three-pointers.
“We make a conscious effort of all guards who we play that penetrate,” Murphy said. “We knew if we could keep him off the lane, we would have a great chance to win.”
As a team, the Eagles shot 43.9 percent from the field, which topped GB’s 35.3 percent.
Forward Karrington Ward got the Eagles’ offense rolling in the first half with nine points, including a three he dropped 6:02 into the game to put EMU up 11-9. That lead held for the rest of the game.
“[Green Bay] did a great job of making it really tough for him,” Murphy said.
Ward had just four points in the second half.
Later in the first half, the Eagles went on a 12-0 run to pull ahead 27-13 with 3:45 to play in the first half.
EMU led 29-18 at halftime.
Both teams’ offenses picked up in the second half as EMU’s lead got as high as 15 with 15:41 left to play.
With only one made three-pointer between both teams in the second half, Sykes hit his first of the night to pull his team ten at 39-29 with under 13 minutes to play.
A couple of possessions later, he hit another three-pointer to bring GB within six, but Talley cancelled it with a three of his own.
With 1:53 left and EMU’s lead down to seven, Riley hit a layup and got fouled by forward Greg Mays in the process, completing the and-one.
Sophomore guard Carrington Love answered for the Phoenix with a big three-pointer, pulling back within seven.
Together, Lee and Talley were fouled six times in the last 1:22 of the game while they went 10-for-12 in that span.
Game Notes:
EMU’s total of 67 points was its lowest this season in a win; GB’s 58 was its lowest in general.
Daylen Harrison had nine points off the bench for the Eagles.
Riley fouled out for the fourth time in nine games; He was the only one to do it Tuesday night.
Brown finished with at least 19 points and 10 rebounds for the first time since Dec. 31, 2011 at Valparaiso (21, 11).
Attendance: 583
Looking Ahead:
The Eagles are off until Saturday Dec. 21 when they take on the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies (2-8) for a 1 p.m. tip-off.
