Eagles Top Huskies, 54-46, for First MAC Victory of the Season

Highlights

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University's men's basketball team secured its first victory in Mid-American Conference action for the 2014-15 campaign, topping Northern Illinois University in a 54-46 decision inside the Convocation Center, Jan. 17. With the win, Eastern snaps a three-game losing skid and advances to 12-5 (1-3 MAC), while the Huskies fall to 7-8 (1-3 MAC).

Raven Lee (Detroit, Mich.-Romulus) led all players with 24 points, and was the only Eagle to notch double-figure scoring. The Detroit, Mich. native shot 58.3 percent from the field (7-of-12), and was nearly flawless from the free throw line after going 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. The pair of Karrington Ward (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township (Moraine Valley CC)) and Brandon Nazione (Howell, Mich.-Howell (Des Moines Area CC)) led the team on the boards, grabbing nine and eight rebounds, respectively.

The victory also marked a milestone for a member of the EMU squad, as Mike Talley (Detroit, Mich.-Melvindale ABT (Duquesne)) recorded the 1,000th point of his collegiate career. The redshirt-senior scored 453 points in his two years at Duquesne, and has posted 548 points as an Eagle thus far for a grand total of 1,001 points. Talley chipped in seven points for the Green and White while also dishing out two assists and grabbing two steals in the win.

Eastern made just 13-of-39 field goals over the course of the contest for a 33.3 percent clip, but the Eagles were sent to the free throw line 33 times and converted on 25 of their shots. The team held a staunch advantage defensively, grabbing 11 steals compared to just three for the Huskies. The Eagles also took advantage of NIU miscues, scoring 26 points off of their opponent's turnovers.

The EMU zone defense held Northern Illinois to just 15-of-41 from the field, including 4-of-14 from beyond the arc. The Eagles also forced 17 turnovers, converting them into 26 points. Aaric Armstead paced the Huskies with 15 points, while Marin Maric added 10 points off the bench.

Stingy defense resulted in a trio of steals to open up the contest, but the Green and White did not find a basket until two minutes into the first half when Lee sank a pair of free throws to give the Eagles a slight 2-0 advantage. The two teams traded baskets to increase the game to an 8-8 tie, with Lee and Anali Okoloji (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Impact Basketball Academy (George Mason)) posting four points each to pace the offense.

Scoring on both sides was stifled for three and a half minutes, with the Huskies and the Eagles hitting just one free throw apiece in that span until Tim Bond (Baltimore, Md.-City College) cut in for a layup and-one to put the Green and White up 12-9 with 10:48 remaining in the half. Northern Ilinois quickly retaliated as Anthony Johnson hit a trey to knot the score once more, 12-12.

The Huskies claimed a three-point lead after another shot from beyond the arc, as Aaron Armstead put NIU on the leading side of a 17-14 edge. Eastern chipped away at the deficit steadily, but the Huskies continued to put up points to keep the slight advantage as Eastern trailed 21-18 with five minutes to play in the half.

Lee equalized the score once more as he faked a pass inside and drilled a three-pointer, forcing NIU to call a timeout with 3:25 left on the clock. The timeout did not pay off for the Huskies, as Lee nabbed the ball from Travon Baker and tore downcourt for a two-handed throwdown to give the Eagles their first lead in over seven minutes, 23-21.

Eastern continued to build its lead with a pair of free throws from Ward and an inside jumper by Bond, while the team kept the Huskies to just three points for the remainder of the half. Going into the locker room, EMU held on to a slight 27-24 advantage.

Lee led all players as the only athlete to notch double figures in the first half, dropping 13 points on the Huskies off a hot 4-for-5 shooting while also snatching a team-high three steals. Ward led the team on the glass, grabbing six of rebounds while also rejecting a shot and grabbing a steal in the first 20 minutes of play. NIU was led by Armstead, who put up eight points, while Pete Rakocevic and Maric paced the team in rebounding with three apiece.

Eastern shot just 38.1 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from three-point range, but the team was solid in free throw shooting as it made 10-of-13 attempts. The Eagles dominated on defense, posting eight steals and three blocks compared to just one swipe and one rejection for the Huskies.

Talley opened up scoring for the second half with a steal and a layup, and the Eagles extended the lead to seven points as Lee scrambled through the NIU defense to chip in a shot off the glass, putting the Green and White up 31-24 with 17:26 to play. Though the pace of the game slowed once more, Lee came through with a shot clock buzzer-beating three to keep the Eagles in the lead, 35-25. The Detroit, Mich. native sank another long shot a minute later to keep the team up, 40-31 with 12:02 remaining.

In the next seven minutes, the Eagles were only able to put points on the board from behind the charity stripe, scoring a nonet of free throws to keep a 49-40 advantage. NIU got within three points of the Eagles with a minute to play, with Eastern holding on to a 49-46 edge. Eastern found its first basket in over 10 minutes when Jerome Hunter (Buffalo, N.Y.-Queen City Preparatory (Alabama A&M) tipped the ball in for a pair of points, giving the team a 51-46 lead with 46 seconds remaining in the contest.

Talley sealed victory with a pair of free throws, bolstering the score to a 54-46 count with his work from the charity stripe as he surpassed the 1,000-point barrier for his career. The Huskies were unable to muster any more points as the clock ran down, as the Eagles picked up their first win of the 2015 MAC slate.

Eastern will hit the road Wednesday, Jan. 21, for its next MAC matchup when it travels to Bowling Green, Ohio to square off with the Falcons of Bowling Green State University. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.

Eagles Top Huskies, 54-46, for First MAC Victory of the Season

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Team Stats

Ray Lee

Mike Talley

Anali Okoloji

Tim Bond

Players Mentioned

Tim Bond

Jerome Hunter

Ray Lee

Brandon Nazione

Anali Okoloji

Mike Talley

Karrington Ward

Players Mentioned

Tim Bond

Jerome Hunter

Ray Lee

Brandon Nazione

Anali Okoloji

Mike Talley

Karrington Ward

Eastern Michigan Athletics