Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, February 20
Convocation Center
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
17-11 (8-7MAC)
85
vs
79
Toledo
19-9 (11-4MAC)
1
2
F
Toledo
46
33
79
Eastern Michigan
41
44
85
Photo by: Steven King/Steve King Studios
EMU Hoops Rockets Past Toledo, 85-79
2/20/2018 9:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Four Eagles score double-figures to lead a balanced attack
HIGHLIGHTS
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team knocked off the Mid-American Conference West Division's top team in a thrilling encounter Tuesday Feb. 20, erasing a 12-point first-half deficit en route to a 85-79 victory over the University of Toledo inside the Convocation Center.
Winners in five of their last six outings, the Eagles (17-11, 8-7 MAC) grounded the high-flying Rockets (19-9, 11-4 MAC) and moved into fifth place in the MAC standings.
Redshirt junior Elijah Minnie (Pittsburgh, Pa.-Lincoln Park (Robert Morris)) recorded 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting, six rebounds, and was one of three Eagles with two steals. Junior and reigning MAC West Division Player of the Week James Thompson IV (Baton Rouge, La.-Parkview Baptist) also tallied 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting and pulled down a team-high seven boards, four of which came on the offensive glass. Redshirt Junior Paul Jackson (Stone Mountain, Ga.-Martin Luther King Jr. (Eastern Kentucky)) added 18 points and a season-best 10 assists for his first career double-double, and senior Tim Bond (Baltimore, Md.-City College High School) logged a season-high 17 points to go with five boards and a pair of swipes. Bond is now just two steals shy of breaking Earl Boykins' all-time record (220), and seven points away from becoming the 31st Eagle in program history to join the 1,000-point club.
EMU had its best field goal percentage in #MACtion play this season, finishing 55.7 percent from the floor on 34-of-61 shooting, including 5-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc. The Eagles went 12-of-15 from the charity stripe and dominated the battle in the post, scoring 52 points in the paint compared to the Rockets' total of 38.
After falling behind 10-5 in the early stages, Thompson nailed a hook shot before Minnie connected on his first triple of the night to even the score at 10 with 16:01 to play in the opening half. Toledo led by as many as 12 in the opening half, but the Eagles clawed their way back into the contest with a 7-0 run to cut Toledo's advantage to 28-23 with 8:20 remaining in the first frame.
The Green and White continued to show their resolve, with Bond's three-point basket trimming the Rockets' edge to 41-39 with 2:09 left in the opening stanza. Both teams displayed their offensive firepower as the Eagles took a manageable 46-41 deficit into the locker room.
Trailing 48-41, back-to-back buckets from Thompson capped a 9-1 EMU run and gave the Eagles their first lead of the night, 50-49, with 17:29 left in the second half. The Rockets briefly recaptured the lead, but Bond's no-look, behind-the-back pass reached Minnie for a one-handed slam to knot the score at 56 with 13:26 to go in the final frame.
Tied at 62, Jackson set up Thompson on an alley-oop to put the Eagles back in front, 64-62, with 8:25 left in the second half. In total, the Green and White used an 8-0 run to build their largest lead to that point, 70-62, with 6:40 remaining in the final stanza.
EMU continued to add to its lead, with Minnie's long-range triple giving the Eagles a commanding 77-66 lead and prompting the Rockets to burn a timeout with 2:52 to go in the second stanza. The Green and White continued to entertain the home crowd, as Minnie assisted Thompson on another alley-oop to put the Eagles ahead, 79-69, with 2:22 left in the contest. The Eagles used free throws the rest of the way to hold off the Rockets by a six-point margin.
Eastern Michigan hosts its final home regular season game of the 2017-18 campaign against Northern Illinois, Saturday, Feb. 24, at 12 p.m.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team knocked off the Mid-American Conference West Division's top team in a thrilling encounter Tuesday Feb. 20, erasing a 12-point first-half deficit en route to a 85-79 victory over the University of Toledo inside the Convocation Center.
Winners in five of their last six outings, the Eagles (17-11, 8-7 MAC) grounded the high-flying Rockets (19-9, 11-4 MAC) and moved into fifth place in the MAC standings.
Redshirt junior Elijah Minnie (Pittsburgh, Pa.-Lincoln Park (Robert Morris)) recorded 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting, six rebounds, and was one of three Eagles with two steals. Junior and reigning MAC West Division Player of the Week James Thompson IV (Baton Rouge, La.-Parkview Baptist) also tallied 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting and pulled down a team-high seven boards, four of which came on the offensive glass. Redshirt Junior Paul Jackson (Stone Mountain, Ga.-Martin Luther King Jr. (Eastern Kentucky)) added 18 points and a season-best 10 assists for his first career double-double, and senior Tim Bond (Baltimore, Md.-City College High School) logged a season-high 17 points to go with five boards and a pair of swipes. Bond is now just two steals shy of breaking Earl Boykins' all-time record (220), and seven points away from becoming the 31st Eagle in program history to join the 1,000-point club.
EMU had its best field goal percentage in #MACtion play this season, finishing 55.7 percent from the floor on 34-of-61 shooting, including 5-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc. The Eagles went 12-of-15 from the charity stripe and dominated the battle in the post, scoring 52 points in the paint compared to the Rockets' total of 38.
After falling behind 10-5 in the early stages, Thompson nailed a hook shot before Minnie connected on his first triple of the night to even the score at 10 with 16:01 to play in the opening half. Toledo led by as many as 12 in the opening half, but the Eagles clawed their way back into the contest with a 7-0 run to cut Toledo's advantage to 28-23 with 8:20 remaining in the first frame.
The Green and White continued to show their resolve, with Bond's three-point basket trimming the Rockets' edge to 41-39 with 2:09 left in the opening stanza. Both teams displayed their offensive firepower as the Eagles took a manageable 46-41 deficit into the locker room.
Trailing 48-41, back-to-back buckets from Thompson capped a 9-1 EMU run and gave the Eagles their first lead of the night, 50-49, with 17:29 left in the second half. The Rockets briefly recaptured the lead, but Bond's no-look, behind-the-back pass reached Minnie for a one-handed slam to knot the score at 56 with 13:26 to go in the final frame.
Tied at 62, Jackson set up Thompson on an alley-oop to put the Eagles back in front, 64-62, with 8:25 left in the second half. In total, the Green and White used an 8-0 run to build their largest lead to that point, 70-62, with 6:40 remaining in the final stanza.
EMU continued to add to its lead, with Minnie's long-range triple giving the Eagles a commanding 77-66 lead and prompting the Rockets to burn a timeout with 2:52 to go in the second stanza. The Green and White continued to entertain the home crowd, as Minnie assisted Thompson on another alley-oop to put the Eagles ahead, 79-69, with 2:22 left in the contest. The Eagles used free throws the rest of the way to hold off the Rockets by a six-point margin.
Eastern Michigan hosts its final home regular season game of the 2017-18 campaign against Northern Illinois, Saturday, Feb. 24, at 12 p.m.
Team Stats
TOLEDO
EMU
FG%
.500
.557
3FG%
.381
.556
FT%
.579
.800
RB
33
31
TO
8
6
STL
2
6
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
11
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
4
FTM
3
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G
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